


The Frog and Owl of Power

by theforgetfulalchemist



Category: Amphibia (Cartoon), She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018), The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:42:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 18,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27035878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theforgetfulalchemist/pseuds/theforgetfulalchemist
Summary: The Plantars and the Owl Household arrive on Etheria as it recovers from war.02/14: Currently plotting the rest of the story! Expect more Amphibia in the future! Watch it immediately become non canon compliant as soon as Amphibia returns in March lol. Well it took forever because life but chapter 17 welcome to hexside is up!
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 53
Kudos: 79





	1. Frog and Owl

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for She ra, Amphibia and the Owl House

Anne turned around, standing up on the front seat of the fwagon with a bittersweet look.

“Don’t stand up while Bessie’s moving, Anne” Hop Pop said, taking the reins.

They watched Newtopia’s gates fade into the distance.

Polly, who was sitting on Anne’s head, looked down at her as Anne sat down, sighing

“You’re gonna miss Marcy, huh?”

“Yeah, I am” Anne said, plucking Polly from her hair and holding her tight. “But the Plantars stick together, no matter what”

“Yeah!” Sprig piped up enthusiastically from the fwagon.

There was a crash.

“Oops” Sprig whispered.

“Dang it, Boy” Hop Pop muttered.

Suddenly there was a flashing light.

………………………………………..

Luz stumbled into her room in the owl house, exhausted.

It had been days since she was trapped on the Boiling Isles and Lilith shared Eda’s curse.

That she couldn't go home was sinking in more and more.

She kept idly waiting for human treasure day, forgetting from time to time that wasn’t a thing anymore.

She scrolled through her phone listlessly. All those texts to her mom. She’d give anything to see her again.

A soft knock on her door.

“Come in” she retreated into her cat hoodie.

Eda opened the door, holding king.

Luz still wasn’t used to Eda’s eyes.

“Kiddo? You ok?” Eda asked gently. 

“we’re worried about you” King said, trying and failing to sound gruff.

“Look I know you miss the human realm” Eda said softly. “But I promise we’ll get you home”

Luz smiled despite herself.

“Get in here, guys” 

She hugged her weird, beautiful family tight, tears in her eyes. 

And there was a bright light.

………………………………………………..

Adora’s face scrunched in worry.

“I don’t want you going out there alone, Catra” she insisted.

“Babe, I’ll be fine”

Adora blushed, stunned. A goofy smile spead across her face

“Babe?”

“What? You’re my girlfriend, aren’t you?” Catra blushed and thwacked her lightly, feinting annoyance. 

“Is...that ok with you?” Catra’s ears flattened and her voice softened.

Adora kissed her. “Of Course"

"Mrrr" Melog chittered by Catra's side headbutting her.

"And of course I'll have you, pal" Catra pat his head

"Merp" Melog agreed.

Catra disappeared into the Whispering woods with Melog.

Adora waved as Bow and Glimmer walked up next to her.

“You want to go after her, don’t you?” Bow smirked.

“Very much so, yes”

“She’ll be fine, Adora!” Glimmer assured her, clapping her on the shoulder.

The three of them walked back to the castle, arms linked across each other’s shoulders.

On the bridge that led to Brightmoon’s entrance. There was a commotion.

Frosta (who was visiting) was yelling at a young girl and what looked like her mother and dog.

Another girl was with some frog people who Adora had never seen before but she’d seen weirder.  
This girl had wild hair and was brandishing a sword and tennis racket. Considering Adora had used a flute and a pitcher in battle she couldn’t judge.

“Where are we?” the wild haired girl asked “and why is this kid trying to fight us?”

"Um...Eda? This is not the human world" the other said, looking at the castle in wonder. "I don't know where this is"

Somewhere in the Whispering Woods, Emperor Bellos stood in the shadows, watching Catra approach.

To be continued


	2. The Bridge

“Frosta, stop it!” Glimmer shouted in her best queen voice.

Frosta reluctantly lowered her spear.

“How many times, Frosta? You can’t go around attacking everyone who comes here!”

The tadpole perched on the wild haired girl’s head scowled and pulled out a rolling pin from...somewhere.

“Oh! Ho ho! Just give me a reason to use Old Doris here!”

“No, Polly!” the girl said half annoyed, half exasperated. “No Old Doris!”

She lowered her sword and tennis racket. “I’m Anne. This is my family.”

“Luz..er, and my family” Luz had been holding a piece of paper with a glyph on it and Adora had seen 

Glimmer and Micah use magic enough to know it could probably do a lot of damage.

When Frosta lowered her spear she had put it away. Adora had a chilling feeling they were lucky.

Both girls introduced their family members.

“I’m Glimmer, Queen of Brightmoon” Glimmer said, trying to sound regal but her voice wavered. She was not used to introducing herself that way yet. “These are my friends, Bow and Adora”

Adora looked nervously towards the Whispering Woods. 

Glimmer touched her hand reassuringly. “One of us is away at the moment. The violent child is Frosta”

She gave Frosta a stern look as Frosta and Polly stared each other down, growling.

“Wait we’re missing someone” Hop Pop cried, suddenly realizing “Bessie? Where’s Bessie?”

“Oh Frog!” all his grandchildren said at once.

“Wait, ‘frog’?” Anne whispered “I’ve been in Amphibia too long”

“Um...heh…you mean that thing?” Adora pointed to the giant snail attached to a carriage, eating grass contentedly. She raised her head and purred.

Luz’s eyes lit up “You have a giant snail that purrs like a cat! That’s so cute I love her so much”

“You said that about a slug demon once” Eda reminded her drily.

Hop pop put Polly on his head. With one hand he picked Sprig up upside down and the other he pointed severely at Anne. “Kids, wait with Bessie while we sort this out” He handed Polly to Anne.

“What? Weak, Hop Pop! I wanna see the castle!” Polly protested. 

“Hush”

Sprig had already run off and was showing his sling shot to some children with goat horns.

Anne sighed. “C’mon girl”

“Don’t give in to the tyrant, Anne!” Polly shouted as she was carried off.

“Um...your majesty” Hop Pop scratched his tufts of hair “How far away are we from Wartwood?”

“There’s no place called Wartwood on this planet”

“Yeah” Hop Pop sighed “That’s what I figured you’d say”

Eda stepped close to Glimmer and sniffed deeply. Glimmer took a step back.

“You’re magic, kid. If there’s magic here, I’ll have this place figured in no time. Now, how many suckers would you say are born a minute around here?”

“Uh…”

“Eda!” Luz protested.

“And figure out how to get home, of course.” Eda smiled guiltily. She pat Luz on the head and winked. “Go hang out with the other kiddos, kiddo. I’ll get us out of this. I always do.”

Luz walked down the bridge and was promptly hit in the eye with a rock.

“Ow!”

“Oops” Sprig whispered, lowering his slingshot.

“Great job blinding the human, Sprig!” Polly shouted from Anne’s head.

“Oh geez, are you ok?” Anne put her hand on Luz’s shoulder. “Let me see”

“I’m not blinded” Luz said rubbing her eye. 

Bessie purred and rubbed against Luz’s head, sensing she was hurt.

“Oh my gosh I love you so much” Luz said in a rapid hush.

“Mrrr”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Glimmer led them through the castle. Adora looked behind her occasionally. She couldn’t push down her foreboding. Weird things were happening and Catra was alone.

“Holy Frog” hop pop looked around “my entire farm could fit in this hall”

“I could get used to this” Eda smirked, rubbing her chin. 

“Yes!” King agreed from her arms “Finally! Accommodations fit for my majesty!”

“Hush”

They passed the hall leading to the war room and Adora smiled slightly seeing a doodle scratched into the wall with a knife, low under eye level.

It was a copy of the doodle she had made with Catra in the Fright Zone, updated with Catra’s cut hair and Adora’s new She Ra form.

In the war room, Micah was drawing a rune in the air, tongue stuck out in concentration. He was using magic to push in all the chairs at once. “Oh hi, baby girl. Adora. Bow. Who are these people?”

“Ha! I knew there was magic here” Eda exclaimed. She drew a magic circle in the air but it crumbled into dust immediately. He looked at the disaster in consternation and shrugged. “Eh, worth a shot.”

“what in tarnasion is this kooky place?” Hop Pop asked dryly. “Give me giant bugs that try to kill you any day! I can’t take all this magic nonsense”

“Oh we have those too” Bow said brightly, looking up from the point of an arrow he was inspecting.

“Ok, everyone sit down” Glimmer said forcefully. “And tell me what exactly is happening here.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside Brightmoon on the grass the kids sat around Bessie.

“You’re pretty god with that tennis racket” Luz said to Anne. “You’d like my friend Amity. She’s good at sports too. Though she probably isn’t feeling the school team spirit after...er...breaking her leg in a revenge grudgby match” she rubbed the back of her head nervously. “It was...kinda intense.”

“I...can relate” Anne looked down sadly. Polly gave her a hug and Sprig took her hand. Before Luz could ask what she meant, a large cat, really more the size of a cougar, came flying out of the woods.

“Cute!” Luz squealed as it passed. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Adora wasn’t paying attention to the meeting. Catra really should have been back by now.

Glimmer noticed and took her hand. “She’s fine, Adora. She has...Melog...with her...oh no.” Glimmer finished in a hush.

Melog had run into the war room meowing bloody murder. Without Catra.

“She’s hurt” Adora whispered. “No. No! Not again!” She grabbed her jacket and ran out the door. “Hang on Catra, I’m coming!”

As she ran, she glowed and transformed into her She Ra form.

“Um...she do that often?” Hop Pop asked in astonishment.

“Yes.” Bow said bluntly, pulling out his bow and knocking an arrow.

“I’m sorry, Hopediah. Eda. Our friend is in trouble.” Glimmer stood up. “Adora, wait for us!”

To be continued


	3. The Whispering Woods

In the war room, Hop Pop stared blankly while Eda looked bored.

“Um….should we do something?” he asked awkwardly.

Eda snorted. “Yeah, steal something valuable”

“…Please don’t do that”

“Pah! Do what you want. Geesh, you’re just like my sister”

Eda picked up a plate and King Micah came in. She hastily put it down. “I wasn’t doing anything!”

Micah cleared his throat. “You…have a daughter, right?”

“If you mean do I have a teenage girl who lives in my spare room and occasionally gives me attitude, then yes”

“How do you get her to like you? Kids still do like cake, right?” he smiled sheepishly. “I’ve...been out of the dad game for a while”

“Eh, you’ll be fine. Just let her be herself and she’ll be happy.”

“I hope you’re right. I had a teacher growing up and let’s just say she didn’t want me to be myself.”

“Yeah, teachers are all the same. That’s why I ditched school.”

“But Eda, you're a teacher” King pointed out as he was trying to scramble onto the war table.

“Be quiet, King”

“Meh” King turned in circles a few times and promptly fell asleep.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catra walked through the woods, allowing herself a stupid smile she wouldn’t have wanted anyone to see.

She still felt Adora’s lips on her own. She still couldn’t believe it. Adora loved her.

She was still wrapping her brain around that simple fact. She, who Shadow Weaver had taught was unlovable, period. 

And she had friends she actually treated like friends. Mostly. Sometimes she lost her cool when Bow called her cute. And sometimes Sparkles jokingly threatened to kick her out of the castle when she ran through the halls on all fours or slept on the war table.

But she was trying. Adora said that was what mattered the most. 

Her ears perked up. Something wasn’t right. She extended her claws. Melog growled next to her. 

Suddenly someone with glowing blue eyes rushed her.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luz was showing Anne, Sprig and Polly a light glyph when Adora, Bow, and Glimmer burst out of the castle door. 

“Woah, Mama, when did Anne get all tall and glowy?”

“Right now, apparently” Polly said, unconcernedly cutting a deck of cards.

Sprig bounced up and down. “We should follow them!”

“Well, Eda and your grandpa said to stay here” Luz pointed out “buuuuut I wanna see more magic so I’m in!”

“Yeah-uh!” Anne cheered.

“Oh no” Polly whispered as Anne picked her up. “Um, guys, maybe this isn't the smartest plan?” Polly said as they ran.

“You can beat up any monsters we come across” Anne coaxed. 

Polly smiled devilishly and pulled a morningstar from nowhere “Lead the way, irresponsible older siblings!”

“Yeah!” Anne and Sprig shouted.

They caught up with the trio in a clearing.

Luz stopped short, suddenly stricken. She was pale and looked around.

“Dude, you ok?” Anne put a hand on her shoulder. 

“I…I dunno...I felt like…” Like when Bellos snuck up on me she thought.

Adora’s shout cut through her thoughts.

“Catra!”

She knelt by a girl with the most adorable cat ears Luz had ever seen. She was beaten and bloody but smiling.

“Adora, you came”

“Course I did, Idiot” Adora whispered fondly.

“You’re the idiot” Catra replied with no heat, only love.

Glimmer had her hand over her mouth and Bow was near tears.

Adora took Catra in her arms and hugged her tight. Catra glowed and seemed to purr contentedly.

Soon she was good as new, no blood or bruises.

She clung to Adora a moment longer than necessary.

Then she saw the others.

“And who are these people?” she scooted away from Adora, blushing.

Luz grinned widely, pulling up the ears on her cat hoodie.

“We match!”

“Huh?”

Catra blinked blearily. She tried to stand up and Adora supported her.

She still clung to Adora. “There was this guy” Catra said thickly. “he had this mask with like…antlers? And his eyes glowed? I fought him off, barely, then he disappeared into the woods. Why is it always something weird with you people? I thought we were done with weird stuff!”

Adora smiled wryly. “Oh, Catra. Weird stuff is never done with us”

Catra groaned. Luz gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “Emperor Bellos” she whispered.

“Ugh how many evil emperors do I have to defeat?” Adora complained.

Catra’s eyes went wide.

“I dunno. But he’s dangerous.” Luz replied. “If he’s here, none of us are safe. I fought him once. He took control of my body and threw me around like a rag doll”

Catra’s ears went flat and she was breathing hard. “I can’t. I can’t do that again”  
She was hyperventilating at that point.

Her friends hugged her “It’s ok. He’s gone” Bow assured her.

“He can’t hurt you anymore” glimmer said.

Adora took her hand “Breathe”

Catra seemed to calm down a little. “Thanks, guys I-“ her sentence was cut off by her   
shrieking, narrowly dodging a laser.

A round bot stomped toward them on its thin metal legs.

“I’m guessing that’s not Emily” Catra said sardonically.

Adora turned her sword into a shield and threw it, cutting through the bot and killing the wiring.

More emerged from the woods.

“I thought we took care of all of them!” Adora exclaimed, annoyed.

Luz pulled out a piece of paper with a snowflake design and ran up to a bot. She pressed the paper to the ground and an icicle as tall as she was impaled a bot. Anne whacked one with her tennis racket and stabbed it with her sword. Sprig shot a few with his sling shot.

He hefted Polly like a baseball.

“You’re up, Polly!”

“Finally!” Polly rubbed her hands together. He launched his sister at the bots as she sparked with electricity.

“zap tag!” she shouted, touching one as she passed. The bot short circuited blasting sparks that took out the others.

Anne caught her “Yeah-uh!”

Catra’s eyes flashed with anger. With a roar she slashed through a bot again, still breathing sharply, but not with panic. With steady hate.

Her expression softened when she saw Adora’s dismayed face.

“I’m sorry” Catra said “I’m working on my anger I just can’t…I can’t…do this”

Catra finished quietly, wiping tears from her eyes.

She scoffed in disgust. “Listen to me talking about my feelings like a” she gagged mockingly “princess”

Her friends laughed like this was an inside joke.

Catra smiled and blushed at their reaction. Then she turned a serious gaze on Luz.

“You’ve fought him before”

“Yes” Luz said inspecting the ground “and we are in big trouble because Eda was right. There’s magic everywhere just like on the isles. He’ll want it all to himself”

She knelt down and picked up some blades of grass. They crumbled into dust in her hand.

Her face hardened. “He’s siphoning the magic. He’s done it before.”

Adora’s face darkened and she punched a tree with a short bark of rage.

“Adora” Bow said gently.

Adora sighed rubbing her hand. “Not again…I promised… never again”

Catra took her hand. 

Glimmer frowned. “Come on. Let’s get Catra back home. And hope he doesn’t find out about the runestones”

Catra was still weak, So Adora carried her bridle style. Catra mumbled complaints half-heartedly, but she looked like she was enjoying herself.

At the castle, Eda and Hop Pop were running outside in a panic.

“Kiddo?” Eda called lightly and sardonically but there was a note of panic in her voice.

“Kids!” Hop Pop was just panicking. “Oh Lord, they’ve been eaten!”

“We haven’t been eaten!” Anne shouted across the bridge, annoyed.

Eda and Hop Pop ran to them. Eda immediately hugged Luz, while Hop Pop went on a rant, cried, then hugged his grandchildren too.

“Sorry, Eda” Luz said softly nestling into the hug.

“We’re fine, Hop Pop” Anne complained, getting crushed.

“Yeah it’s no big deal” Sprig said.

“I wasn’t scared” Polly said to no one in particular.

Glimmer looked up at the large runestone atop the castle like it worried her. “I guess the good news is, after Horde Prime was defeated all the soldiers went home. We have plenty of spare rooms. Let’s forget about Bellos and get you guys settled in. I have a feeling you’ll be here a while.”

To be continued...


	4. I Think Etheria is a Pretty Great Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Plantars et al settle into Brightmoon.

King had already made himself at home. He lay on the war room floor with the remnants of cake all around him.

“He ate all the cake” Bow said in wonder, inspecting the plates licked clean.

“He does that” Luz noted cheerfully. 

“Hey you eat me out of house and home too, kiddo.” Eda said. Luz smiled sheepishly.

“Well there’s plenty more in the kitchens.” Glimmer led them down the hall. “This is where you’ll be staying. It’s not very big or fancy or anything…”

Their reactions indicated they had a very different idea about what “big and fancy” meant.

“This is also bigger than my farm” Hop Pop said sourly.

“My room is an old storage room. And I share with King!” Luz said in dawning horror.

Anne, Sprig, and Polly were beside themselves. 

“Race you!” they all yelled at once. Anne and Sprig immediately hopped on the fluffy purple bed and jumped on it. Polly dived into the tub.

“This, now, I like this” she floated around on her back.

“Uh you may not want to-” Adora winced as the bed exploded in a burst of feathers, throwing Anne and Sprig onto the floor. “Do that. Or that will happen.” Adora laughed and helped them up. “Happened to me on my first day here too.”

“Look over there, buddy” Bow picked up Sprig so he could see out the window to the training grounds. “That’s my target range. I use it for my arrows but it works just as good with sling shots.”

Sprig’s eyes widened. “This is the best day of my life” he whispered.

“It’s also good for swords” Adora pointed out to Anne.

Anne grinned “You’re on!”

On the grounds, Sprig and Bow made perfect bullseyes and hi-fived while Polly cheered.

Adora sparred with Anne, teaching her some basic moves. Every time Anne feel down she picked herself up fiercer than before.

After she charged Adora, growling and nearly disarming her Adora took a step back.

“Woah!” she said, alarmed “Take it easy, kid.”

Anne breathed hard, looking murderous. She quickly realized what she was doing and her expression softened.

Catra, who was petting Melog on a bench to the side, bristled.

“I’m...I’m sorry. I just...I have to get stronger” Anne finished, rubbing her arm self-consciously.

Adora nodded like she understood. “I know. Believe me, I know. But take care of yourself too. That’s something I’m still learning.”

Anne looked down so her face was shadowed, not wanting them to see her cry.

Adora put her hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to talk about it. Let’s hit the showers, ok?” she said in an upbeat voice.

“Um, Adora, this isn’t the Horde” Catra reminded her. “There are no showers? Just baths?”

“Let’s not hit the showers!” Adora said in the exact same tone of voice.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the very top of the castle, Eda and Luz were examining the runestone. Eda put her hand on her chin ponderously, and stopped Luz from trying to lick it.

“But what if the secret is to lick it?” Luz asked.

Glimmer walked up the steps. “Can he use it?” she asked Eda anxiously.

“Dunno” Eda said flatly. “It’s like nothing we have on the Isles. But best he doesn’t know about it. You got like a glamour spell or something, kid?”

Glimmer smiled wickedly. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

She appraised the stone and the area. 

Glimmer worked on the spell all day, as arrows and stones flew on the grounds, mingling with the crash of swords.

As the sun set they all sat at the long table for dinner.

Bow and Anne fought over the last piece of chicken as Sprig went on about his deadly aim.

Glimmer dragged a high chair from the kitchens and presented it to an unimpressed Polly.

“Disappointing” she drawled as Hop Pop picked her up and placed her in it.

Adora gave Anne more pointers. Catra fed Melog table scraps and looked at Anne grimly.

Glimmer stood up and tapped her glass with a fork. “Ok, everyone, announcement.” 

Everyone stopped talking and bickering and gave her their full attention.

“We have thrown every spell we can at this. We’re safe for now. As for getting our new friends home, I talked to Entrapa about a portal.”

“It took us thirty minutes to calm her down about alternate realities. She wanted to dissect you guys” Bow noted.

Glimmer cleared her throat. “After...all that, she agreed to help. We’re to meet her when she has more data. In the meantime, please think of Brightmoon as like...a vacation home.”

“We don’t have those” Sprig said bluntly.

“Aude!” Anne scolded him.

Glimmer blushed and coughed. “Right. Of course. Still, my home is your home.”

Polly raised her hand. “Can I have my own room?”

Glimmer looked nonplussed. “Sure?”

“No, Polly” Hop Pop told her sternly.

“Great, even in bizarro world, I’m the baby”

“That’s right”

That night, Anne sat in the hallway, sharpening her sword intently.

“Hey” Catra was suddenly there, coming out of the shadows. “Can I sit with you?”

“Sure”

Catra slid down beside her. ‘I just wanted to say…” she chose her words carefully like she wasn’t even sure why she was saying this. “It gets better”

“What does?”

“You had a friend go dark side” Catra said baldly.

Anne startled. “How can you possibly know that?”

“I know the look. I saw it on Adora’s face enough.”

“What? Why?”

“Adora and I grew up in the Horde. When she left, I...didn’t”

“Oh”

“But I did eventually. Those idiot princesses got to me. Annoying, but eh.”

She gave Anne a reassuring smile. “If someone as hopeless as me can change, so can your friend.”

Anne smiled back, wiping tears from her face. “Thanks” she said in a small husky voice.

Catra nodded. “Get some sleep, kid. Sparkles says we have to go shopping tomorrow” she said in an exaggerated mock fancy voice. “Ugh. Princesses.” She rolled her eyes and grinned. “Goodnight”

She walked away, leaving Anne to mouth “Sparkles?”

Anne went to bed on her (mended) matress with a relieved sigh.

Soon, Sprig jumped in next to her.

“I got a little scared. This place is big and dark.” he admitted.

“It’s ok, buddy”

“So, Anne, would you rather have a test every day, oooor...fight a giant monster once a week?”

“Don’t we do that anyway?”

“Oh yeah”

They fell asleep under the new stars.


	5. Shopping Day

The next morning dawned gray and cold. Eda had been examining the runestone all night and had 

finally fallen asleep bundled under a nest of blankets.

“Weh?” King, who had been napping in Eda’s hair tumbled out, holding one of Glimmer’s stuffed animals. 

“Eda! Eda! Wake up!” Luz and the Plantar kids were grinning down at her.

“You don’t want to miss our first adventure exploring this magical new world” Luz said enthusiastically.

“Magical. Right.” Eda said sardonically.

Polly rubbed her hands together. “So many chances to be a despotic ruler”

Sprig bounced up and down. “I want to hunt in the Whispering Woods!”

Anne gave him finger guns. “Hop Pop said no, so you should absolutely go hunting in the woods.”

“Yay!”

Eda groaned. “Too many children too early. What’s a witch gotta do for a cup of apple blood around 

here?”

“No apple blood, but Bow gave me some coffee” Luz handed her a pink crystal cup. Ea took a long sip.

“Yuck. Humans drink this?” Eda asked, wiping the coffee off her tounge.

“Wanna go wake up Hop Pop?” Sprig asked. 

Anne and Polly agreed heartily. “You’ll love this Luz.” she said “Hop Pop sleeps with his eyes open. It’s so weird. It’s great!”

They crowded into a bedroom where sure enough Hop Pop was snoring, eyes wide open. 

“Awesome” Luz whispered, poking him.

Anne grinned and took a deep breath. “Wake up, Hop Pop!” she shouted at the top of her lungs.

Hop Pop jumped straight up. “What? Say what?” he smacked his lips and yawned. “I’m up, I’m up kids”

“We’re going into town, Hop Pop!” Sprig bounced on the bed. 

Their four hosts came into the room, Glimmer knocking on the door frame. Eda was behind them choking down the coffee.

“After breakfast we’re going on a supply run to a town we know around here.” Bow said. “We thought you could come along, get some stuff to make your stay comfortable. Plus, the general store has like a ton of second hand magical items from Mystacor. There could be something Luz and Eda could use.”

“I still think I should buy property there” Catra smirked. Adora smacked her lightly on the arm and Catra laughed.

They all sat down to breakfast. Eda passed Hop Pop her cup of coffee and he drank thankfully.

“Frog save us from teenagers” he muttered.

“Amen to that, brother.”

Bow put a doggie dish full of steak on the floor for King.

“I am not a dog!” King yelled, stomping his foot.

Bow’s eyes sparkled and he practically squealed. “Such a cute dog!”

“Meh, whatever” King shrugged and dug in.

“Get used to that, King, he still squeals over my ears” Catra muttered.

“But they’re so cute!”

“Shut up, Bow!”

Glimmer and Adora cracked up.

After they ate, Glimmer had them all stand in a circle.

“Are you sure you can do this with all of us?” Bow asked in a concerned look.

Glimmer kissed him sweetly, making him blush. “It’ll be fine”

“What will?” Luz asked. Before anyone could blink Glimmer touched Bow’s shoulders and suddenly 

they were in a field across from a town.

They arrived at a town straight of of a European fairy tale except there were mushroom people bustling across the cobbled town square.

“Freaky, dude” Anne shuddered.

“Cool” Luz said, eyes wide and bright.

A bunch of people waved at them and some cheered.

“Finally, the recognition I deserve!” Polly cried, swelling with pride with an evil look.

“You said it! Bow to me, weird fungus people” King waved his arms, tied securely to Eda’s in a baby sling.

“Cut it out” Eda drawled.

Adora waved back at the townsfolk. “Yeah, we liberated this town from the Horde a while ago, it was kinda a big deal” Adora said with just a hint of smugness. She rubbed at her nose.

“Except Glimmer” Bow said pointedly, crossing his arms and glaring at his girlfriend. “blew our cover”

“I said I was sorry” Glimmer grabbed him and gave him a noogie. Adora laughed.

“And Sparkles says we act like kids” Catra said lowly in Adora’s ear, smirking.

“Yeah-uh! Shopping spree!” Anne cheered, noticing the general store. “Hop Pop can we please have more than three coppers this time?”

“No, Anne”

“Boo” Anne said. She grabbed Luz’s hand and pulled her to the store. “Come on, Luz it’s been forever since I went shopping with a girl my own age. Not since...well never mind, let’s just go!”

They went inside, the bell announcing their arrival. Luz gasped and ran to a small book shelf. She picked up a book and blew off the dust. “I don’t believe it! They have fantasy books here! I wonder what a fantasy book in a world that’s already fantasy is like” she mused.

Anne put down a teapot and looked at the book in bemusement. “Man, I don’t understand that stuff. You should meet my friend Marcy, she loves that stuff”

“My friend Amity does too. I miss her.” Luz blushed. “And my friends Willow and Gus!”

Anne slid to the floor. “I miss Marcy. I just found her again. I wonder what she’s doing right now.” she said wistfully. “And Sasha.” she paled. “Actually scratch that. Better not think about what Sasha is doing.”

Luz moved to put her hand on Anne’s when she stood rigid with shock. 

“Is that...?” Luz whispered. She rushed over a bucket with a few canes and broken umbrellas. She pushed them aside and grabbed a broken staff. “No way...is there...I have to tell Eda!”

“What?” Anne asked.

Luz pulled Anne up and they ran to the town square where the others were haggling with a produce stand vendor.

Hop Pop had his arm rested casually on the stall. “Come on, from one vegetable vendor to another, can’t you give us a discount?”

“No” she said flatly with a bored expression.

“Eda! Eda” Luz cried, waking the broken staff.

“What’s going on?” Sprig asked as he bounced over. Polly rolled beside him.

“Dunno, I’m just here for the ride.” Anne admitted.

Luz showed Eda the bottom of the staff where there was an elaborate groove patterned carved. 

“That’s an interlock.” Eda said in a small voice, taking the staff and examining it. “This is a Palisman. This is from the Isles! But it’s ancient.”

Luz nodded. “Whatever happened to us, it happened before.”

They were reeling from this development when Bow’s tracker pad made a dinging sound.

Bow turned it on, distractedly.

“Go, Entrapa.”

Entrapa’s face appeared on the screen. She was grinning widely. There was a small, worrisome explosion from her computer in the background.

“You have to get to Dryl right now! I found something incredible!”


	6. The Mad Scientist

They walked down the steepest canyon Luz had ever seen.

“Wow” she whispered peering down. King was clinging to her back, pretending he wasn’t scared.

Suddenly, she lost her footing and almost careened off the cliff, but Anne grabbed her at the last second.

“Oop” Anne pulled her back onto the path.

“whew. Thanks” Luz wiped her forehead. King trembled, clutching her head tightly. Eda and Hop Pop ran to them.

“Can I not leave you for a second, kid?” Eda said worriedly, checking to see if Luz was hurt.

Hop Pop put his hands on his hips “Do you kids know the meaning of the phrase self preservation?”

“We do not” Sprig chimed in from the front of the group.

“Nope!” Polly agreed.

Hop Pop sighed.

“Tell that to the death wish twins other here” Bow pointed to Glimmer and Adora. Adora grinned and punched him lightly. Glimmer gave him a noogie.

“I mean” Catra said “You guys do almost die a lot”

Adora put her in a gentle headlock and gave her a noogie as well.

“Cut it out, Adora! Hey!”

“The King of Demons does not fear heights” King insisted weakly.

“I'm a ninja at stopping people from falling” Anne said proudly as she and Luz caught up to the rest. “Back home, it was practically a full time job making sure Marcy didn’t hurt herself too bad. You do not want to know how many volleyballs I've taken in the face for her”

Luz laughed sheepishly. “I could have probably used someone like you back home. In retrospect, fireworks and live snakes were not a safe choice for a book report”

“Heh. Respect” Anne grinned.

Hop Pop made grunt of disapproval.

Bow broke away from Glimmer’s teasing and turned to them.

“Welcome to Dryl”

“Holy…”

They stared up at the fortress.

Anne shivered “This reminds me of toad tower”

As they got closer, Anne hung back, averting her eyes

Catra gave her a concerned look. She slowed down to talk.

“You’re thinking about your friend”

Anne nodded miserably.

Catra almost pat her on the back but stopped herself self conscientiously. Before she could say anything they were at the castle.

Luz stopped at the front door’s place mat and deftly stepped over it. As she did spikes rose up sharply, impaling air.

“Eda taught me a thing or two about booby traps” Luz said.

“Yeah, I did” Eda smiled proudly.

“Good, because this place almost killed us the first time we were here” Bow said, slinging his quiver over his shoulder.

“I just realized I still don’t remember most of that” Adora said with wide eyes as they all passed the front gates.

The halls were cavernous, echoing and...empty. 

“I hope her robots haven't revolted again” Glimmer said cheerfully.

“Again?” Luz asked in horror. She saw a defunct robot and jumped.

“Cool” Sprig poked it.

“Sprig!” Polly complained.

“What? What are the chances they’ll attack again?”

“Pretty high, knowing Entrapta” Adora muttered quickly, chuckling.

Catra laughed heartily. Bow gave her a stern look.

“Right. No more making fun of Entrapta” she said contritely.

“I don’t trust machines far as I can throw ‘em” Hop Pop said nervously, eyeing the robot.

“Me neither.” Eda agreed “Luz once showed me a video on her phone of a cat that was four hours long! It’s unnatural”

“Please send me that video” Anne whispered to Luz.

“Already done” Luz whispered back. Anne glanced at Luz’s lock screen, a picture of her and her friends. Willow was laughing and Gus was shouting something. Amity was blinking awkwardly, Luz hanging onto her arm.

Anne grinned slyly and pointed at Amity. “She’s cute”

Luz blushed. “Uh...I guess”

“Um...Entrapta?” Glimmer called uncertainly.

“Heh. Maybe she fell asleep at her computer again” Adora smirked.

“Oh no she’s not here, we better go home” Catra said unconvincingly, making to leave.

“Hold up” Adora grabbed her arm.

Bow glared at her. Glimmer raised her eyebrows.

“Ugh, fine” Catra complained, throwing up her hands in defeat, turning to go deeper into the labyrinth.

There was the sound of crashing, an explosion and crazed laughter.

Anne and Luz looked at each other in alarm.

“What was that?” Sprig asked, excited. “a monster we can fight?” 

Bow sighed. “That would be Entrapta”

In Entrapa’s computer room, the princess was doing some calculations. She turned and took off her mask.

Entrapa’s eyes lit up and she pushed herself with her hair right into Luz’s face.

“Oh, is that the artifact?” she asked as Luz startled. “Can I see it? Can I touch it? Can I have it?”

“Um” Luz helplessly held out the broken palisman for the princess to inspect.

Entrapta cackled excitedly. 

Catra twitched in annoyance and Adora nudged her. Bow cleared his throat.

“Entrpata, these are our new friends. They come from a…”

“Another world, yes!” Entrapta shouted. “This is so exciting!” she shuffled back to her computer and seated herself on her office chair.

“I’ve suspected for a while now that the First Ones have visited more worlds than we initially thought. Anomalies in historical records also suggest people from other worlds have occasionally gone through First One portals to Etheria”

“Hold on” Eda snapped, snatching the palisman back. “I don't care what this weird kid says, if a witch had found this place, we would have heard of it”

“They may never have come back” Bow pointed out gently. “Portals are...unreliable.” he glanced uneasily at Catra and Glimmer. They both looked down.

Anne shrugged. “Meh. I believe it. If I can find a portal to a frog world in a thrift store who knows what these things can do?”

“Precisely!” Entrapa cried, spinning on her chair, making Anne jump. She squeeled with delight “An artifact from a distant planet from the wider universe! There’s no telling what capabilities this baby will have in my research”

“Maybe...a way to get our friends home?” Glimmer suggested.

“Potentially!”

“...a way to fight an evil magic maniac from Luz and Eda and King’s world?” Bow ventured anxiously.

“...potentially.”

They waited. 

“Oh! You want me to elaborate!” Entrapta realized “Well, it’ll take some time but I can run some tests.”

Entrapa snatched Owlbert out of Eda’s hands. He hooted softly in protest. Eda growled.

“I’ll have to borrow this too. You guys can stay in the guest wing in the meantime.”

“Dryl has a guest wing?” Bow asked.

“Sleepover!” Anne and Sprig shouted.

Luz whooped.

They ran off. Polly and King gave each other bemused looks.

Eda yawned and stretched to scratch her back. “Is there nest material around here? Preferably straw?”

Glimmer groaned. “I guess we’re here for a while. Can we even survive spending the night in this death trap?”

Bow kissed her. “We’ve faced worse things.”

Anne and Luz raced each other to the guest wing and claimed a room with two beds.

They lay awake showing each other pictures from home. Willow showing off a plant monster, Gus an illusion of himself, Amity an abomination. Anne snort laughing at something Sasha said as Marcy played her switch, oblivious.

“I miss them” Anne said, smiling wanly.

“Me too.”

Luz laughed sadly. “I promised Amity I’d lend her another book this weekend. She’s such a fast reader.”

“When I saw Marcy last, I promised myself I’d see her again soon. And Sasha…” Anne faltered, hugging her phone to herself. “Catra gave me some advice about her. I hope I can make things right with her”

They fell asleep thinking of home.

Late into the night, Entrapta, fueled by too many caffeinated sodas, was monitoring her computer. Suddenly, a beep made her take her mask off.

Unusual magic energy readings from the Whispering Woods.

She put her tape recorder to her mouth with shaking hands. “Update. This is not good”


	7. The Library

Bow woke up in the guest room next to Glimmer, who was snoring loudly. She was hugging her pillow and drooling in her sleep.

“Heh. And she says I snore” he kissed her on the forehead.

Stretching he walked to the kitchens, where the butler and bakers were preparing breakfast for the   
guests. And of course, small food and fizzy drinks for Entrapta. 

“Good morning, Master Bow” The butler presented him with a mug of coffee.

“Ah, thank you, baking brigade” Bow sighed deeply, inhaling the rich aroma.

“BOW!”

“AH!”

Bow splashed coffee all over his face. Luckily, it had cooled. He turned with a flat, annoyed expression.

Entrapta had appeared out of nowhere. Probably from the vents.

Good, you’re awake, you have to see this!”

“Can’t I finish my coffee first?”

“No”

Bow sighed.

Entrpata led him to the computer room. She leapt onto her office chair and spun around.

“This is what I found when I called your tracker pad. I think I’ve isolated the portal that brought your friends here. But there’s a bigger issue” she pointed to an icon located above the whispering woods. It was a skull and cross bones in red that was blinking with a warning alarm.

Bow blanched. “Belos” he whispered. He gasped. “The woods! He’s still there! Oh no! My Dads!” 

“More importantly” Entrapta continued. Bow glared at her. “I’ve been tracking him all night. It just may be possible to send everyone home. Him too.”

Bow nodded, swallowing hard. “Ok. Etheria doesn’t need another Horde Prime. I’ll go wake everyone up.

Everyone gathered, bleary eyed after a quick breakfast in the kitchens. Bow and Entrapta filled them in.

“Oh, Bow” Glimmer said as she and Adora gave him a hug. Catra gave him a pat on the back.

Anne looked up, sipping her coffee as Sprig bounced off the walls next to her.

“No more coffee, boy” Hop Pop said baldly, taking Sprig’s cup.

“That’s probably best” Luz said, taking a huge gulp. Hop Pop took her cup and Anne’s too.

“Aw!”

“I’m getting apple blood withdraw” Eda complained.

“Wait” Anne rubbed her eyes. “Can this thing take us home? Like home, home? Earth?”

She glanced at Luz. Luz turned a pained look to Eda and King.

“Potentially!”

Anne rubbed her eyes again, this time wiping away tears. “Woah. Ok. Lots of emotions right now. Remember to text me, Luz”

Luz looked troubled. “Guys I dunno if I’m ready for…”

“Too late!” Entrapta pulled a switch and everyone screamed. There was a blinding flash of light, but the other worlders were not gone. In fact, there were three more people.

“Guys?” Luz said in wonder.

There on a heap, groaning in pain and confusion were Willow, Gus and Amity.

“Guys!” Luz squealed and hugged her friends.

“Ow” Gus groaned.

“I broke my glasses” Willow complained.

“Hey it’s my other dumb kids” Eda said cheerfully.

Glimmer helped Willow up gently and drew a spell circle around her glasses. They repired and Glimmer handed them back.

“Thanks” Willow put them back on. “Woah, okay we are ina scary labyrinth. Nooo problem…”

It sounded like it was a problem. 

“Luz?” Amity said, blushing. “Where are we?”

Entrapta turned on her recorder. “Update. Experiment is a failure. There are now more strange children than before”

“It didn’t work” Bow breathed “Dad”

“No time to explain” Luz helped Amity up. “we have to go to a library.”

Slowly, Amity grinned.

Bow led the way through the woods, his mouth a thin, tense line. Anne looked back at Luz and ribbed her gently in the side.

“So, that’s Amity”

Luz blushed. “Cut it out, we’re just friends”

“Riiiight”

“Anne!”

Luz chased her until they reached a large library.

“Lance! George!” Bow cried, bursting through the door. “Dad! Where are you guys?”

“No need to shout, son” George's calm voice answered. He appeared, Lance behind him.  
“Oh hey it’s Bow and the girls” Lance said cheerfully.

Bow and Glimmer, Adora and Catra all breathed a sigh of relief.

“And...other people” George noted, bemused. “Bow what’s going on here?”

“Lance, George!” Bow said. “Thank goodness you’re ok!”

“Why wouldn't we be ok?” George asked.

“There’s a crazy witch named Belos lose in the woods!”

“Belos?” Lance asked. “Tall man? Wears a broken mask with deer antlers?”

“You’ve see him?”

“He was very polite. Asked to borrow some of our books on the First Ones and the magic of Etheria.”

“Belos has always been good at getting what he wants, kid” Eda told Bow. “He has the entire Isles conned into his stupid coven system”

Luz and Amity, meanwhile were enamored with the books. 

“Psh. Nerds.” Anne called.

“Shut up Anne” Luz grinned.

“Heh”

“Bow never said his dads had such an amazing library” Luz marveled. Bow rubbed his temples and sat down on the couch next to where Luz was examining a scroll.

“Largest on Etheria” Bow told her. “Oh man I feel a headache coming on. Lance, George how could you guys be so careless?”

“Can I borrower some of these books too?” Luz asked. “If I could figure out glyph magic, maybe I could fins something in these books that can help us somehow.”

“Please take all you need” Lance said, bringing tea and cookies into the library. 

Amity selected a book and read the cover.  
"She Ra, Princess of Power" Amity whispered. "So cool" she blushed "I mean, so lame!"

Willow raised her eyebrow and smirked.

Adora grinned and transformed. Amity’s eyes widened.

Adora basked smugly in her awe.

“Ignore her” Catra said “She loves to show off”

Gus and sprig were stuffing their faces with cookies.

"Drink some of that tea boys before you choke" Hop Pop instructed.

Sprig gagged.

"Dang it, boy"

Lance brought out more tea.

Gus drew a spell circle and a blue illusion double of himself took the tray with a bow.

Lance laughed in delight as illusion Gus placed the big plate of chocolate chip cookies on the coffee table in front of Willow. Willow was holding Polly in her bucket and was idly making lilies appear in the water.  
“Don’t mind if I do!” Polly said. Her jaw opened unnaturally large and she swallowed all of the cookies whole.

Luz was so engrossed in a book it almost didn’t register. Then her head shot up in alarm.

“Gus! Willow! You used spell circles!”

Luz took out an ice glyph “so it’s not just glyphs that work here”

King squirmed onto Eda’s head. “Except for Eda here. Weh!” Eda shook him off and he toppled onto the couch.

“Witches get their magic from the Isles.” Eda said. “Sorcerers like Sparkles here get their magic from the earth. Same basic concept.”

“Sparkles” Glimmer mouthed.

“Huh...I wonder…” Amity drew a spell circle and suddenly there was a bright flame. Everyone screamed and there was a slight commotion until Luz used her ice glyph to put the fire out.

Amity clutched her chest in fright. “Oh my gosh, why do I always default to fire?”

Anne went back to devouring a new place of cookies. “Um, don’t wanna be a downer or anything but like…doesn’t that mean this Belos guy can use magic here too?”

Bow turned to his dads. “Did Belos tell you anything about were he was going?”

“Now that you mention it he said something about Brightmoon being fa ailure and the next best thing. He was looking at a map…” Lance took out a huge map of Etheria. “Here”

He pointed to Plumeria.

To be continued...


	8. Flowers for Willow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another princess has joined the party!

“Plumeria” Bow said in a hush.

“Oh, that’s bad.” Glimmer said. “remember the last time Plumeria was attacked? The Horde nearly poisoned every acre of land in the kingdom. I don’t wanna think about what Belos could do to Perfuma’s Heart Tree”

Adora looked thoughtful. “if we’re going to Plumeria, we should call Swift Wind. He loves their apples”

Amity raised her eyebrow. “You have a friend with a magic tree named…Perfuma?”

Adora hesitated. “Wow, I never noticed that. A lot of us have like, really appropriate names”

“I love fantasy names” Luz said excitedly. She cleared her throat and struck a dramatic pose. 

“I am the good witch Luzura!”

“The what now?” Catra asked.

Glimmer growled in frustration. “Guys, focus! We need to get to Plumeria, now! Gather around”

“Not this again” Eda groaned.

“We’re too old for this” Hop Pop complained.

“Speak for yourself, you old frog”

Anne and Sprig grinned excitedly.

“Glimmer’s teleporting makes me so sick!” Sprig said.

“I know!” Anne said cheerfully.

“Idots” Polly muttered.

“You’re gonna love this” Luz took Gus, Willow and Amity’s hands. Amity’s face went bright red.

“Hang on!” Luz shouted.

There was a bright light and suddenly they were in a beautiful meadow full of flowers.

Gus fell on his backside. He grinned widely. “That DID make me sick!”

“It’s great!” Sprig helped him up.

Willow and Polly gave each other long suffering looks.

Amity wasn’t so lucky. She fell face first onto a patch of violets, books flying everywhere.

Luz gave her a hand. “Uh, thanks” Amity stammered.

Anne gave Luz the thumbs up. Luz blushed.

Willow gasped. “look at all these beautiful flowers. She smelled one and used her magic to 

make it grow.

“I’m glad you like them”

A girl in a long dress and a flower crown was walking towards them. She had a peppy, bubbly expression and her hands were clasped as if in prayer.

“Perfuma!” Glimmer called, waving.

Perfuma hugged Catra who was nearest to her. Catra tensed but didn’t push her away.

“Have you been doing the meditation I taught you?”

Catra blushed and murmured “Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it here, Princess”

Perfuma just continued to smile serenely. “So what brings you to Plumeria?”

Her smile melted when she saw their grave faces. “And why do feel like these people are reinforcements?

Glimmer put her hand on Perfuma’s shoulder. “We have a problem”

After Perfuma was brought up to speed on the situation her expression became uncharacteristically hard.

“I see. Well, lucky for us, I learned a few tricks fighting the Horde.”

She put her hands on her Heart Tree and closed her eyes. She concentrated, beads of sweat on her forehead.

A loud rumble shook the earth and everyone struggled to keep their footing.

Like a dome closing on a stadium, a pink force field studded with white flowers rose above the kingdom.

“Wow” Luz breathed. She looked at Amity with sparkling eyes. “someday I’ll be doing magic like that.”

Amity smiled softy. “I know you will”

Anne elbowed her. “Yeah you will”

Perfuma nodded in satisfaction. “He wont be getting through that. Let him try”

“Please don’t say that” Adora said with a shudder. “We have a habit of getting jinxed”

Perfuma seemed unfazed. “In any case, since everyone is here, why don’t you all join the feast?”

“There’s always a feast in Plumeria” Adora whispered to Luz. “Its pretty great”

Purfuma set them up at the enormous banquet table under the Heart Tree.

Adora immediately ate everything sweet in sight while Glimmer cheered her on. Catra laughed. “Idiots” she said affectionately.

Polly bounced onto the table next to Bow and they shared a dry look.

Hop Pop and Eda were having a drinking contest that King was officiating. He brought out the bet book.. “King bets Eda she’ll lose the contest”

“I’ll take that bet, you furry menace to society!”

“Get ready to lose!” Hop Pop declared.

“Step right up, step right up” Gus cried like a circus show runner. His illusion Guses ran around the table making making faces at the native Plumerians.

Amity and Luz were curled up on the edge of the table reading Lance and George’s book on She Ra.

Anne approached them rubbing her neck. “I don’t mean to intrude but do you think…I could read with you?”

Luz smiled and patted the cushion next to her.

Amity blushed and her eyes widened. “What? I don’t want to be alone with Luz or anything” she laughed nervously.

Anne plopped onto the ground. “it’s just…if Marcy doesn’t have her Switch in her face she has a book. This…makes me feel close to her, I guess.”

Luz hugged her and Anne melted into the friendly embrace. “You’ll see them again. Just like I’ll see my Mami again”

Anne held back tears. “Thanks guys” she said in a small voice.

Willow was admiring Perfuma’s flower crown.

“Do you want one?” Perfuma raised her hand and a crown of daffodils sprung to life on Willows’ head.

Willow giggled. “I can do that too” she drew a green circle in the air and a corsage appeared on Perfuma’s dress pocket.

Perfuma clapped.

“Also I can make plants that attack people” Willow said, creating a venus fly trap that roared.

Perfuma winked. “Me too. People always think I’m weak because my power is plant life. But we know better, don’t we?”

Willow’s laugh died in her throat as she noticed a shadow on the edge of the force field. A shadow with protruding dear antlers.

She pointed a shaking finger “Guys?” Everyone was talking. “GUYS!” she screamed.

That got everyone’s attention. Slowly, everyone looked where she was pointing.

There was general chaos as everyone stood up and scrambled to defend themselves. Anne drew her sword and tennis racket. Luz and Amity prepared spells.

“For the honor of Greyskull!” The Best Friend Squad prung into action as one. Hop Pop put up his dukes for all the good that would do them.

“Weh? I vote we run, Eda” King tugged at Eda’s hair.

“Yeah, that tracks” 

“Let me at him!” Sprig shouted, brandishing his slingshot.

“No, me!” Polly said, drawing Old Doris.

“No! Everyone, back!” Perfuma said. She raced to the force field as Belos struck it. After three strikes, a hole ripped in the pink barrier.

Perfuma strained to keep the barrier up.

“I can’t hold it!”

Willow’s brow set. “Yes. You can” slowly, deliberately, she put her hand onto Perfuma’s, lending her strength.

Everyone froze. The Heart Tree pulsed and glowed so brightly everyone shielded their eyes

Everyone except Perfuma and Willow. They were both glowing too, bright pink, their bodies and their eyes.

With a savage roar they pushed with all their might against Belos and he was thrown off.

He picked himself up and dusted himself off. “Bah! Half Witch.” He snarled. “Yes, Lilith did say her sister’s protege had...interesting companions. It is no matter.” He turned and walked away.

Everyone cheered. Perfuma hugged Willow tightly. Willow looked woozy and her glasses were askew.

“What…what happened?”

Anne gave her a friendly punch on the shoulder.

“Ow”

“You saved us, is what!”

“Sorry about that” Perfuma said “I guess the Heart Tree’s magic rubbed off on you”

Perfuma threw a meaningful look to the Best Friend Squad. “I think it’s time we get the Alliance back together”

To be continued...


	9. Polly's Swimming Pool

“Adventure!” Sprig cried from the brow of the ship that was carrying them to Salineas.

Out of nowhere, he pulled out a burning torch. Hop Pop immediately snatched it from his hand and threw it into the ocean. He glared at his grandson who gave him a sheepish smile.

Catra clutched the side of the ship, trying hard not to hiss and spit or throw up. “Why a ship? And why this ship?”  
Her claws ran over the Horde insignia on the side, crudely drawn over with a picture of Brightmoon castle.

“It was the only ship we had Seahawk didn't burn” Adora said, rubbing her back.

After the war there had been hundreds of decommissioned warships. Not after Seahawk was through with them.  
Bow helped Sprig onto the rigging. “Seahawk is the best pirate on Etheria. He’s probably in Salineas with Mermista so you’ll get to meet him”  
“Best at setting things on fire, maybe” Glimmer grumbled. Bow ribbed her gently.  
Sprig bounced down to the edge of the ship and looked down into the water .“Is there good fishing in this ocean? Hey Hop Pop, let’s fish!”

Polly rolled on her side to her brother, looking unimpressed. “We’re on an alien planet and it’s the fishing you care about?”

“Hey alien fish taste the same as regular fish. I assume”  
Polly sighed.

“I can’t believe this is where you’ve been, Luz” Gus said “we looked for you all day when you disappeared.” he shuddered and his irises shrunk. “We went over to the Owl House but nobody was home except for Hooty. He made us listen to a rap he was writing for like an hour”  
Luz winced in sympathy. “Just be thankful he didn't show you his mix tape”  
Anne was practicing her back swing on deck.  
“You’re pretty good” Amity said “Hexside could use you for our Grudgby team”

Anne shouldered her tennis racket proudly. “Oh no, Anne Boonchuy is a solo athlete”

“Really, Anne?” Polly said drily. “We had like an entire day about that lesson”  
“Do you expect me to remember every life lesson?”  
“Yes!”  
“Fine” Anne grumbled. “how do you play?”  
“well” Amity said before Gus pushed her out of the way.  
“So glad you asked!”  
As Gus went into an intensive lecture on the rules, Bow was checking in on the castle on his tracker pad.  
Perfuma was positioning the screen on her end so Bow could see her clearly as she sat in the war room.

In the background could be heard Entrapta’s maniacal laughter a crash and what ominously sounded like a fire starting.  
Perfuma twitched. She looked like a haggard babysitter. “Please tell me you’re almost to Mermista’s, I can’t handle Entrapta duty alone.” she smiled at Willow “Have you been working on your poinsettias?”

“Sure have!” Willow said, producing the red flower for emphasis.  
After Gus’s lecture Anne and Amity sat by Luz who was engrossed in one of the books Lance and George lent her.  
“Anything about fighting intergalactic super villains in that book of yours, buddy ?” Anne asked cheerfully.  
“Maybe” Luz mused. “It says the princesses of Etheria are stronger when they work together, like they share their powers...remember what happened back in Plumeria? When Willow’s eyes glowed? Maybe…”  
The thought died in her throat as the Sea Gate came into view, a shinning massive wall of magic  
“It’s so beautiful” Luz whispered.

“Especially now that it’s not crumbling” Adora said. She pointed at her own head in a self satisfied way. “Thanks to me”  
Catra gave her a soft punch on the side and Adora laughed.  
“Stop being so pleased with yourself, idiot” Catra smirked fondly.

“Are those the gates?” Perfuma asked, trying to see past Bow and Willow. “Tell Mermista I say hi! Oh and Entrapta says she made a lot of progress with the palisman. She thinks she’ll be able to crack the portal soon.”  
“You hear that, Luz?” Anne said. “Home!”  
Luz put her cat hoodie’s hood up and said nothing, looking intently at the Sea Gate.

When they docked, Mermista’s butler/guard greeted them but was quickly bowled over by Seahawk who sprinted down from the castle.

“Friends! he shouted “And you brought a ship!”

“Oh no, you aren’t touching her” Glimmer said, spreading her arms as if to block his path. “This is our last ship, you cannot set it on fire”  
Seahawk sighed. “I never get to burn things.”

“You set things on fire all the time!” Adora protested.

Glimmer groaned.“Can we please just see Mermista?” 

“To adventure, then!” Seahawk turned and dashed up the steps to Mermista’s palace.

“Tt’s still just seeing Mermista...never mind”

Polly’s eyes widened when she saw the bay. “Now this is a swimming pool, Hop Pop!”

She jumped into the water and swam on her back. Suddenly the water began to boil.

“Hot hot hot!” Polly shouted.

“The baby!” Hop Pop Anne and Sprig cried at once. Before anyone could react Eda scooped the pollywog out of the water. 

She handed Polly to Hop Pop. “I’m used to looking out for dumb kids” she flashed a gold fanged smile.  
Her smile melted and she glanced at Glimmer. ‘I’m gonna guess the boiling water isn’t natural”  
Glimmer shook her head.  
“Belos”  
“What is going on?” came a bored voice. Mermista was walking down the steps, dragging Seahawk by his coat collar behind her.  
Sprig jumped up the steps “Is there good fishing here?”  
“Nooo” Memista drawled. “Um, why is a small frog child talking to me and more importantly, why is my sea bubbling?”  
“We have some bad news” Adora said.  
When Adora was finished explaining, Mermista let out a long groan.

“we literally just got rid of Horde Prime, can the universe stop sending super villains to destroy us for like five minutes?”  
“Apparently not” Adora said bluntly.  
“Well can you at least fix the ocean?” Mermista asked, annoyed.

Eda twisted her hand off and dunked it into the bay. “Yup, he’s taking the magic here too.”

“I think I have an idea” Luz took Mermsita’s hand.

“Um what?” Mermista said, startled.

“Concentrate on the ocean” Luz said.  
“um...kay?” they both closed their eyes. Suddenly their eyes shot open, as a blue aura swirled around them.  
Mermista made the ocean turn in turmoil and Luz threw an ice glyph into the sea.  
Catching on, Guz, Willow and Amity looked at each other and drew spell circles as one. They made huge blocks of ice and threw them in too.

when the blue aura dissipated, the sea was back to normal.

“Yes!” Polly shouted, jumping back in.  
Hop Pop groaned.  
Luz grinned mischievously. “This. This is how we beat him.”  
Mermista finally cracked a smile. “I’m in”

To be continued...


	10. Snow Day Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part one of the visit to the Kingdom of Snows.

The Kingdom of Snows was especially cold that morning.

“Stop squirming, Sprig” Eda said imperiously as she attempted to put a wool sweater over his head.

“Dude, do you want to go into hibernation?” Anne asked, putting earmuffs on Polly and a scarf around Hop Pop. “Cause that’s how you get hibernation”

Glimmer yawned deeply and Bow put his arm protectively around her.

“I still think you should have rested first” he said anxiously. “You aren’t used to teleporting so many people”

“Huh? What?” Glimmer mumbled sleepily. Bow sighed. 

“Just because you aren’t sharing your runestone with your mom anymore doesn’t mean you have no limits”

“It’s fine, Bow, stop worrying” Glimmer couldn’t stop yawning.

“Are we sure Princess Frosta is expecting us?” Luz asked “The note was kinda vague” she pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. It had a drawing of Frosta with a speech bubble saying “the Winter’s Bane summons you!”

“Yeah she’s expecting us” Adora confirmed.

They had found a catch of fur lined ear flap hats in a closet in Brightmoon for everyone and they put them on as they entered Frosta’s palace.

Gus threw a snowball at Luz who promptly returned fire.

King was grousing In his baby sling.

“the king of demons does not wear booties!”

“He does in twelve inches of snow” Eda said.

Willow laughed. “Amity remember the winter we were eight and it snowed so much Em was able to bury Ed up to his head? And your mother threw a fit because Em forgot where he was buried?”

Amity smiled. “I remember. Em was grounded for a month it was great”

“Are we talking about baby Amity?” Luz cut in. Gus saw his opening and knocked Luz over with a snowball to the head.

Amity blushed deeply. Willow smirked.

“Shut up” Amity grumbled at Willow. Willow raised her hands in surrender, still smirking.

Frosta came barreling down from her throne and across the giant atrium that housed her Princess Prom.

“You came, you came!”

She bowled over Glimmer in a tight hug.

Glimmer laughed as she was thrown into the snow. “Missed you too”

Frosta hugged Adora and Bow and even Catra which seemed to startle her.

“What, no punch, kid?”Catra asked, laughing “You going soft on me?”

Frosta ignored her and pulled her forward, gesturing for everyone to follow.

“Come on, I put food out for everyone. And it’s not touching” she said proudly.

Adora’s mouth twitched “Thanks, Frosta”

Catra hung back to Adora’s side and she gave Adora a soft punch. “I never got to tell you what a great dancer you are. Mainly because I was angry you were such a great dancer. Did you really learn those moves in like a day?”

Adora blushed, looking please with herself. “And I was mad you looked so good. where did you get that tux?”

Ahead of them, Luz looked around wearily.

“What’s wrong?” Frosta asked.

Luz shook her head. “The last time I was in a snowy place I betrayed my friend’s trust and was almost eaten by a monster”

“Cool”

“It really wasn’t. In any case, we’re here to…”

“I know why you're here” Frosta snapped, suddenly seriously. “Why do you think I invited you? Belos is a threat. We have to take him down”

Everyone dug into the food as Frosta continued. It was cold but there was a lot of it.

“I also called Netossa and Spinnerella. And Double Trouble”

Adora laughed incredulously. “I’m sorry, um, you called Double Trouble? The spy who betrayed us?”

“Double Trouble almost took down the rebellion single handed” Glimmer reasoned “We want them on our side. Good job, Frosta”

Frosta beamed.

Catra look shaken. Adora took her hand. “Catra?”

Catra didn’t seem to hear her. Her arm went limp and she pulled away from Adora’s grasp.

Catra broke into a panicked sprint trying to hold back tears.

“Catra, wait!” Adora cried.

“Be right back” Anne said.“Save me some whale blubber it looks good” she shuddered. “I really have lived in Amphibia too long. Catra wait up!”

At the other end of the ballroom, Catra was curled up In a ball, Adora holding her as she took short ragged breaths.

“Dude are you ok?” Anne knelt down beside her.

Catra took a deep breath the way Perfuma had taught her, running her hands over her ears.

“I’m ok. I’m ok. It’s just…the last time saw Double Trouble wasn’t…great”

“I know the feeling” Anne said grimly.

Catra gave a weary half smile. “Thanks, guys, I…” she was cut off as a snowball struck her temple, exploding into pieces. Catra shrieked in indignation.

“Frosta! There was ice in that!”

Frosta was cheering her perfect shot while Glimmer and Bow were doubled over laughing.

“Snow war!” Gus and Luz shouted, pelting Adora and Anne with snowballs.

Amity wved her hands in distress until Willow hit her full in the face with snow. She looked unimpressed.

“Now perish!” Sprig screamed, brandishing a snow ball in each hand.

Far away, there was a sounds like a widening crack in ice.

Eda was suddenly on high alert, her long ears twitching.

“What is it, Eda?” King asked. He had gotten out of his baby sling and was now leg deep in the snow.

“I heard that sound on the Knee once when I was a kid. Evereyone we have to run there's gonna be an…”

With a roar a thick wall of snow fell from the mountain, covering the entrance to the ballroom.

“...avalanche” now it was her turn to look unimpressed.

“Uh oh” everyone said as one.

“Relax” Glimmer said confidently. She took Bow by the collar and snapped her fingers but nothing happened except she glitched out a bit. 

“Uh oh” she whispered. 

To be continued...


	11. Snow Day Part Two

An echoing silence fell over the group.  
“Glimmer!” Bow shouted in exasperation. “What did I tell you?”  
Catra snickered. “Great going, Sparkles”  
Glimmer roared in frustration and kicked at the snow drift violently. Bow and Adora had to restrain her as she panted and glared at it.

“It’s ok everyone” amity said raising her hand for calm. She waved a finger in a circle and a roaring flame was conjured. She pointed it at the wall of snow and ice and it began to melt but it was juts too much. It was barely making a dent.

Luz knelt beside her and put her hand on her shoulder. “Here, let me help” she said gently. Amity blushed and moved over a bit so Luz could use a fire glyph to chip away at the snow.  
Anne smiled at them then cried out in alarm when she turned to the Plantars.  
All three were turned blue and frozen.  
“You guys!” Anne eclaimed, hands over her mouth.

“This is fine” sprig insisted.  
Polly shivered violently in Hop Pop’s arms. Hop Pop sneezed so forcefully he sunk about a foot into the snow.

“Easy there old timer” Eda pulled him back up. “We need to get the Plantars inside before they become pop sicles so gross even Hooty wouldn’t eat them” 

“I dunno I’ve seen him eat some nasty stuff” Gus said, picking Polly up.

Polly stopped shivering “Warm” 

“There’s a back room behind the throne” Frosta said enthusiastically, pulling at the hem at Eda’s coat. “Race you!”

“hold up, kid” Eda protested, hauling Hop Pop across the ballroom. “He’s heavy. Lay off the bug burgers will ya, Hopadiah?”

Willow took Sprig’s hand. “Come on, buddy, let’s get you warm”

“Are we going to a party?” Sprig slurred in a daze as he followed obediently.  
Behind the throne was a cozy tiled room with a couch and fireplace.   
As the Plantars thawed, Luz and Amity came in drenched in melted snow.  
Amity wiped the water off her coat with an irritated groan.  
Luz shook her head like a dog throwing water everywhere, grinning cheerfully “We made a big dent!”   
“But not big enough” Amity said, smoothing out stray droplets of water “Looks like we’ll be here awhile”

“Good thing I have an emergency cocoa stash” Adora said. She rummaged in her jacket and pulled out some sour candies, what looked like a smushed piece of cake and a few packets of hot cocoa.

Amity gave her odd look. 

Adora shrugged “What? Scorpia and Entrapata make me keep them”

King looked at Eda accusingly. “Why don’t you ever have candy in your hair?”

Eda scowled and pulled king’s earflap hat over his eyes.

“Weh?”

“Everyone calm down!” Bow shouted, his voice breaking for the first time in years. “I’ll call Brightmoon for an extraction”

When he turned on his tracker pad the feed showed mermista putting out a fire. Entrapta was looking at the mess as if she was calculating the damage-to-progress ratio.  
Perfuma was having a full on conniption. “I told you I couldn’t handle Entrapta duty alone!”

Someone pulled the feed away from the chaos and Netossa’s face appeared on the screen

She whistled. “Frosta wasn’t kidding they really aren’t from around here” she took out a notebook. She flipped through pages with crude doodles of her friends , some on fire, until she got to a blank page

“what are your weaknesses? What about you, pixie cut?”   
Luz pointed to herself certainly.

“I bet it’s fire. It’s fire, isn’t it? You, dye job?”

Amity looked up, startled.

“I’m guessing…a crippling fear of what other people think of you and a a pathological inability to confess to your crush”

“What?” amity stammered, turning bright red.  
“Again, so much more personal than fire!” Glimmer said throwing up her arms. 

Spinnerella put her arms over her wife as Netossa scribbled furiously. But there was something…off about her smile.

“Leave them them alone, Darling”

Netossa scowled in genuine fury. “I told you to stop that, DT”

“Spinnerella” grinned wickedly and materialized in black smoke to reveal a shorter, green reptilian figure.

“You people are no fun” Double Trouble declared, examining their nails.

Luz screamed and fell over. Catra’s ears flattened in distress and she looked away.

Amity blinked in confusion.

“Cool” Gus exclaimed.

Eda scoffed. “body swap? Big deal, we’ve done that, right kiddo?”

Luz wasn’t paying attention. She was clapping as Double Trouble smugly soaked up the praise. 

“Can you turn in to anyone?”

Double Trouble complacently turned into Luz except with an uncharacteristically devilish smirk.

“You tell me, sweetheart”

“Whaaaa?” Luz exclaimed.

The real Spinnerella walked in the feed and kissed Netossa.

“Everyone stay calm” she insisted.

“That’s what I was saying!” Bow said.

“We’re going to take Darla and come get you out. You stay warm and safe until then. Hold tight.” Spinnerella said. She noticed her wife’s notebook and groaned.   
“Darling, not again. You can’t just say fire, everyone’s weakness is fire!” she argued as she turned the feed off.

Bow sighed. “Let’s hope Darla doesn’t break down. Again.”

Adora held out the hot coca, smiling widely. “Huh? Huh?”  
“I’ll get mugs!” Frosta said brightly.  
“And marshmallows, please!” Anne called after her.  
“Okay!” Frosta rummaged in a small kitchenette attached to the room.  
“And cinnamon?” Anne continued.  
“Ooh that sounds good” Luz said.  
“Kids!” Hop Pop said sternly.  
“Sorry, Hop Pop” Anne and Luz said as one.

Frosta came back with mugs and they heated up the drinks over the fire.

Anne groaned. “We’ve been here forever. Let’s do the challenge of the brave”

“Oh sounds scary” Luz said, wiping a chocolate mustache.

Sprig and Polly shuddered. 

“Trust me, Luz you don’t know the half of it” Sprig said.  
“Never again” Polly whispered.

Luz, Gus and Willow shared a confused look. They looked to Amity who shrugged.  
“Is that like truth or dare?” Adora asked. She laughed smugly. “Because we used to play that all the time in the Fright Zone and I was the undisputed champion.”

Catra snorted. “Only because you were too stupid to be afraid of the dares.”

Everyone cracked up and Catra smiled softly, blushing. 

Suddenly there was a loud eruption like an earthquake and a familiar maniacal laughter.

“Her light speed still works! Good girl, Darla!” came Entrapta’s voice.

Everyone cheered.

“We’re saved!” Gus cried tears running down his face s he hugged Sprig. Sprig was also crying tears of joy. Polly looked up at them with a blank look.

Perfuma hugged Adora tightly.

Double Trouble came out of Darla bowing. They smiled and waved at Catra who hissed. Anne put a hand on Catra’s shoulder.

“Oh none of that, Kitten” Double Trouble said lazily. “Get in you goody two shoe rebels, it’s time for a council of war”


	12. It's Mostly Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays, everyone!

What’s the hold up?” Double Trouble asked lazily. “Let’s go, Darlings”

“Awesome” Sprig and Anne made to run up the gangplank but Hop Pop grabbed them by the back of their shirts.

Eda casually picked Luz up who had been fiddling with a loose and definitely unsafe wire. Luz grinned sheepishly. 

“Oh, she’s perfectly safe” Entrapta called from inside Darla. As if on cue, a fire broke out on her motherboard.

Spinnerella blew a gust of wind to put it out. Netossa shook her head with a disappointed frown.

“…Mostly safe!”

Amity walked into Darla cautiously and picked up Netossa’s weakness book.

“Every princess has a weakness and it’s all in there” Netossa said proudly.

“It’s mostly just fire” Spinnerella whispered to Amity.

Amity laughed and smiled softly “I like to journaling too”

“I don’t think my wife’s crazy ramblings count as journaling”

“Hey!”

“Sorry, Darling” spinnerella chuckled and kissed her. Netossa seemed mollified.

“As touching as this is we have to go” Double Trouble pointed out.

“Belos has siphoned enough magic to make our dear Big Brother seem like a kid in a sandbox. Wel…almost. It’s bad, ok?”

“Big Brother?” Luz’s eyes widened “Is this a backstory?”

“Horde Prime” Adora ground out.

“Oh”

“He was never much up against magic.”

“We’re going to take the fight to him” Double Trouble said.

“Why do you care?” Catra snarled. “You were going to let the rebellion and the Horde destroy each other. Why not now?”

“Ouch, kitten. If you recall, I helped you people fight Horde Prime. I have no interest in a scorched planet, you know that. Who would see my performances?”

“You’re unbelievable” Catra lunged at them but Adora and Anne held her back.

Catra scoffed and stalked off to Darla’s infirmary to sulk.

“What happened between them?” Anne marveled.

Adora shook her head. “She never told me the whole story. But it sounded bad.”

“Oh please,” Double Trouble butt in, startling them. “I saved her. Her life was a mess until I gave her a wake up call”

Spinnerella clapped her hands using a gust of wind to make it resound like thunder. It got everyone’s attention.

“now then everyone” she said decisively. Before she could say anything more Netossa pushed her out of the way.

“We think Belos is heading to Spinny and me’s castle” Netossa said “we’ll be ready for him”

Adora punched fist to palm, grinning “Now that’s more like it”  
Luz shuffled through some glyphs selecting the ones that would be good for traps. “I like this plan”

“let’s pulverize him!” Polly yelled bouncing up and down and pulling out a boom shroom.

“Where did you get that?” Amity wondered vaguely.

Suddenly, Entrapta pushed a button and Darla lurched to the side, making everyone pitch right, falling over, screaming.  
“Everyone hang on!” she cried.

“Say that before you take off!” Gus shouted, bowling into Adora.

“Oof”

“Sorry”

Adora gently helped him up.

Darla hurtled at light speed and after a few seconds of more panicked screaming they were back at Brightmoon.

“Was that necessary?” Bow shouted shrilly, his voice breaking.

Perfuma was in the front courtyard trying to wrangle Bessie with no luck. Bessie was chewing her hair as   
if it were delicious leaves, tears streaming down Perfuma’s face.  
“I do plants, guys, not snails” she said in distress. Bessie belched and licked her face.   
She sighed in relief as Sprig took Bessie’s reins, coaxing her with leaves.  
“C’mon girl you know you want some”   
Bessie chirped and followed him

“Mrrrrr!” Melog came bounding out of the castle and tackled Catra to the ground.

Catra shrieked in laughter and protest as Melog licked her face, wagging his tail.

“Ok, ok, down, boy” Catra said, gently pushing him off. “I missed you too.” She took his face in her hands.   
“Just a bit longer, ok? Wait here till we get back” Catra kissed him lightly on the nose.

Adora observed her girlfriend being tender with big tearful eyes and a goofy smile.

“At least I don’t need to worry about Entrapta’s-“ Perfuma began before explosion wracked Darla.

“fires” she finished in a small voice, her mouth twitching.

Entrpata came out of Darla coughing and waving away noxious black smoke. “She’s ready!” Entrapta said cheerfully.

At Spinerella and Netossa’s castle, everyone got to work. For some reason, Double Trouble pulled Eda aside and spoke with her in a hushed voice.

Willow and Perfuma worked together to produce a thick shield of thorny vines. Willow jumped in victory and Perfuma giggled demurely.

Amity began burying fire glyphs like land mines. 

“Here, let me help you” Luz dug enthusiastically, covering a helpless Polly in dirt.

Sprig unearthed her and they planted boom shrooms along with the glyphs.

“I don’t normally approve of tricks” Amity admitted. “but in this case, I’ll make an exception”

“I always approve of traps” Sprig said. “How else do you hunt?”

“He’s got you there, Amity” Luz laughed. Amity rolled her eyes but couldn’t help grinning

“you call that a spring trap?” Hop Pop barked at Bow. “Set it properly, boy!”

“Yes, sir!” Bow saluted, eager to please.

Glimmer put her face in her hands and groaned. “Bow, you don’t have to take orders”

“But he sounds so…authoritative”

“Bow!”

“When did you learn to be such a drill sargent?” Eda laughed.

“Heh! Ain’t much different than running a farm” Hop Pop declared proudly.

“It’s true” Anne said through a mouthful of chips she had dug out of her backpack. “he’s a tyrant”

“Why, thank, you Anne

“Anytime, H.P.” 

“And what do you think you’re doing?” Catra snarled at Double Trouble who was lounging in the grass, idly shifting their appearance. First Eda. Then Hop Pop. Then Catra.

“Being the star of the show, Kitten” they said in Catra’s voice with a wicked smirk.

“You’re just lazing around” Catra snapped.

“You can’t expect a performer to come on stage before they’re ready. My part is coming up so stay tuned” they said brightly.

Catra stalked off muttering about how everyone was impossible.

Not looking where she was going she bumped into one of Gus’s illusions of himself. The illusion popped like a balloon and catra fell flat on her face with a shriek.

“Oops, sorry about that” Gus took her hand and helped her up. “I thought I’d give him the Illusion Coven welcome”

Catra gave one of her old evil smirks “I like the way you think, kid. That’s devious. We coulda used you in the Horde”

Adora, Bow and Glimmer gave her raised eyebrows and disapproving looks.

“I mean, don’t trick people, it’s bad?” she smiled awkwardly and shrugged.

As Seahawk was arguing with Hop Pop about the viability of a setting a ship on fire as a defense there was a shout of victory from inside Darla.

Entrapta ran out of Darla , babbling and squealing excitedly.

Mist was swirling low on the grass obscuring everything now.

“Everyone, I think I’ve done it!” Entrapta cried. She threw the old palisman back to Eda, but Eda wasn’t quick enough. It hit her square on the forehead.

“Ouch! Hey watch it, kid!”

King fell over laughing.

“Don’t laugh, King” Luz said but she was snickering herself. Composing herself, Luz looked at Entrapta. “Do you mean the portal will work now?”

“A scientist never makes promises without experimenting first”

“Entrapta!” Anne barked.

“Ok, yes, it will work” Entrapta conceded.

“Then I’ve come just in time”

Belos appeared out of the mist.

To be continued...


	13. The Many Faces of DT

Wind picked up as Belos came closer. 

Adora’s eyes glowed as she transformed but before he could charge him, a strange figure in white robes and an owl-like mask walked past her confidently.

“Huh?” her sword-fighting stance went slack and her sword arced down, uselessly cutting into dirt.

The figure hailed Belos with a raised hand. “My Lord”

Belos stopped short, at a loss. A moment of hesitation.

Adora could swear the figure was smirking in victory under that mask. They dissolved into black smoke and Double Trouble was in their place

“NOW, SWEETHEART” Double Trouble yelled behind them and ran for it.

Before Belos could recover, Eda and Luz threw glyph that exploded like bombs in his face.

He staggered back toward Darla and was blown over by the wind coming from the portal forming in her.

Entrapta poked her head out of Darla, pushing her welding mask off her face with her prehensile hair.

“We have to hurry! The portal is extremely unstable!” she screamed into the wind.

“Oh, big surprise!” Catra said waspishly, digging her claws into the ground to prevent herself from being blown away. She put an unnecessary supporting hand on Adora’s back.

Adora looked behind her with a gleam in her eyes. Literally, they gleamed bright blue. 

“Ready?”

Catra grinned. “Always”

Luz and Willow nodded to each other grimly. They held hands with Mermista and Perfuma and their eyes went bright.

Gus sent his illusion selves to pester Belos while Spinnerella tried to keep the wind under control.

“You can do it, Spinny!” Netossa called.

“Thank you, darling”

Belos was finally able to stagger to his feet, pushing himself up from taking a knee.

“This world’s magic is mine” he growled.

Adora gave a mirthless laugh ending in a small snort. “Newsflash, pal, you aren't the first person to try. We’ll wipe the floor with you the way we did Prime.”

Belos roared and shot his hand out. Huge tendrils of vines, each the size of Bessie rushed toward them. Willow and Perfuma countered with a wall of poinsettas.

Belos scoffed and chopped his hand through the air as if he were cutting something. The water from Netossa and spinnerella’s castle moat rose like a tidal wave. Luz and Mermista put there hands in front of them, making the wave freeze in place above them before it washed over them. With a shove, the water settled back into the moat.

“Surrender, fiend!” Sprig said, shooting a rock he found at Belos.

“Ow!” Belos clutched his head.

“’Fiend’? Have you been reading Hop Pop’s lame plays?” Anne asked dryly.

“Now is not the time, Anne” Sprig said shortly, loading another rock.

“they are not lame, Anne!” Hop Pop protested.

“Not now, Hop Pop!” Polly said.

“Just give up because you can’t beat all of us” Mermista drawled in satisfaction, her hands on her hips.

“Ha ha!” Seahawk pumped his fist.

“Be quiet because you have literally contributed nothing” Mermista shot at him.

Seahawk’s fist fell.

The portal grew. Images flashed beyond it. Wartwood, where Ivy was knocking on the Plantar’s door.

“Can Sprig play?”

The Boiling Isles, Lilith walking around the Owl House lawn, calling for Eda and Luz.

Gus cheered. “Home! We did it!”

Belos chuckled softly. “you think you've beaten me?” he asked in a dangerous voice. “I’m sorry to burst your illusions, but you have not”

He raised his arms like an actor in a play being showered in applause.

A wall of fire pillared in front of the group, moving slowly toward them. The flames whipped in the portal’s whirling energy.

Gus’s face fell. “Or maybe not”

“Um, guys?” Entrapta called again, hugging Darla’s door frame. “Dunno how long this will last”

Amity stepped forward, cracking her knuckles “Leave this to me. Hey guess what, Belos? My default is fire!”

she drew a circle creating a makeshift flamethrower pushing against Belos’s fire.

Embers and ash flurried, falling into the portal, showering the other worlds. Frogs, demons and witches looked up in confusion.

Amity strained to keep her spell up. “Everyone go!” she shouted “go through the portal! We may not get a second chance!”

“No way are we leaving you behind!” Anne snapped, using her tennis racket to counter rocks Belos was manipulating the ground to send to them like missiles. 

“We’re all going or not at all!” Luz cried into the chaos. She struggled to Amity’s side and took her hands. Amity’s breath caught and she blushed.

Luz lent her strength and a few fire glyphs to Amity’s.

Willow and Perfuma were still fighting against the weaponized wildlife.

Adora and Anne were trying to get into sword distance to Belos but he was showing no openings.

Until there was a strangled yowl. Adora’s heart nearly stopped thinking it was Catra wounded, but instead Belos was forced to the ground by…

“Melog!” Catra screamed “What are you doing, boy? I told you to stay home! Get away from him!”

Spinnerella and Netossa gave each other small determined nods.

They used the distraction to strike. Netossa encased the emperor in a magic net while spinnerella spun him around with an air current.

“You want to finish him, kiddo?” Spinnerlla looked down at Frosta who was jumping up and down.

“Oh yeah!”

Frosta froze the water Mermista was holding at bay.

“Hey!” Mermista protested.

Frosta made the water into hundreds of icicles sharp as daggers that honed in on Belos.

“It’s gonna blow!” Entrapta ducked as Belos was knocked into the portal by the force of the ice slamming into his body.

“No” both Anne and Luz whispered as one. They made a mad dash to the portal muttering “No no no”

What they could have done even if they reached the portal nobody could say. By the time they reached Darla, the portal had closed to the size of a pea and dissipated with a pop.

Luz and Anne fell over each other.

They pulled themselves up in tears. “our only way home” Luz said in a hush. 

Anne wiped tears and snot from her face. “at least we could see Wartwood.

Catra was checking Melog for wounds when he nudged her. “Mmr?” which Catra seemed to understand as “say something encouraging” because

Catra rolled her eyes and said “Dont worry, Entrapta is like a genius or something she’ll figure this out”

“I cant figure this our” Entrapta declaimed bluntly. She took the palisman and waved it around. Emily came out from Darla’s sleeping quarters, beeping cheerfully.

Entrapta held it out for her to inspect. Emily beeped sadly. 

Catra glared at her.

Spinnerella hugged the girls who were both openly crying now.

Double Trouble came out of a nearby bush “...is it over?”

“And where where you?” Catra demanded.

“I’m an actor, not a fighter, kitten”

Netossa shook her head. “I’m sorry guys. I guess we’ll have to think of something else. The castle’s huge double doors had been demolished in the fight, and the destruction had turned the front hall into a disaster zone

“The only thing we can do now is turn in for the night.” she sighed in annoyance. “and get this cleaned up.

They a trudged dejectedly into the castle for the night.

As night fell and they turned in, sounds of Wartwood and the Boiling Isles floated in the air.

The portal appeared again for a second only to blank out of existence

In its place was a door with an eye design staring into the darkness.


	14. Goodbye for Now

Adora woke up the next morning in one of Spjnnerella and Netossa’s guest bedrooms. Yawning, she walked down the main staircase to find the Plantar kids cleaning up.

Polly was bouncing around with a little brush and dustpan, dutifully sweeping debris. Anne and Sprig were seeing how high they could stack books that fell from the front hall bookshelves.

“Wow, and Catra says I wake up early”

“Our house gets destroyed like every week” Polly said bluntly, hopping past.

“We basically know the drill by now” Sprig added, putting a book on the pile they were making.

“How is Catra?” Anne asked, stacking one last book that make the tower topple.

“I’m fine” came Catra’s voice, sharp but a little hesitant. She smirked, tousling her short hair.

It continued to grow back over her ears. Adora couldn’t help but play with it.

Catra blushed and kissed the back of Adora’s hand before saying “spinnerella and Netossa are arguing over whose turn it is clean. I couldn’t stand it, so I came down”

There was a shout from outside.

“KIDS!” Hop Pop called urgently.

Anne, Sprig and Polly groaned in unison. “Coming hop pop” they chorused.  
Hop Pop and Eda were staring at something in the morning mist, mouths agape.

Luz and her friends were off to the side, practically jumping up and down.

As their eyes adjusted, they saw what everyone was looking at. Two doors with an ominous eye design.  
Anne rubbed her eyes like she though she was dreaming. “Dude…is that what I think it is?”

Luz squealed “This is the door I came out of! This is it!”

She ran to turn the doorknob before Eda caught her with the tip of Owlbert’s staff.

“Hold on kid, we don’t know where they lead. It could open up into fire or something”

She gently nudged Luz out of the way and cautiously opened the door.

A strong sent of mushrooms wafted through and on the other side was a small village with wood houses surrounded by forest.

“Wartwood!” Anne shouted and ran through before anyone could stop her.

Sprig and Polly raced after her and all three of them danced and cheered in the middle of the village square. Frogs were giving them weird looks.

“Alright kids, alright” Hop Pop sighed, climbing in after them. “Calm down.” His eyes bugged out. “Oh Lordy they have new ascots!” he took off panting toward his favorite clothing store, his grandkids folded their arms and scowled.

“The this must be…” Luz opened the other door to find the Owl House, just as they left it. Hooty was softly dozing, wearing his headphones.  
Luz opened and shut the door three times, testing to see if it would still work.  
Satisfied, she went up and hugged Hooty waking him up.

“Hoot! There you are. You guys were gone forever. You wouldn’t believe what happened to me while you were gone, hoot hoot! I saw a fly…”

Luz didn’t even complain, she just continued to hug him as Gus, Willow and Amity joined in indulging him.

“Well, that’s enough of that” Eda said, opening Hooty’s door. “If you need me, I’ll be sleeping on the couch forever. Byeee” King was already asleep in his little nest in Eda’s hair, snoring.

She shut the door.

Luz and Anne came out of the portals. By now, the entire Best Friend Squad was out on the lawn, Adora having woken Bow and Glimmer.

Luz put her finger on her chin and examined the portal doors. “Hmm, I think if you…” she touched both in turn and they folded into suitcases.

She threw the suitcases on the ground and they folded out into doors again. She repeated the process and handed the portals to Glimmer.

“You should hold o to these. Belos could still use them. We have to be ready”

Glimmer took them, nodding. “You can count on me. Come on, guys” she said to Adora, Bow and Catra “Let’s get back to Brightmoon and put these somewhere safe. We should probably say goodbye to Spinnerella and Netossa”

As if on cue, Netossa’s voice came down from the castle. “I challenge you to a game of iceball! Loser cleans up!”

“Anne and her siblings already cleaned up, Darling! This is stupid!”

“Yeah! Ice ball!” Frosta shouted, also from inside. There was the crunch of ice forming and a crash.

“Or maybe not” Glimmer amended, her lip twitching.

She teleported the Best Friend Squad, Luz and Anne to Brightmoon.

They arrived in front of one of the bathrooms where Micah was absently brushing his teeth.  
He blinked. “Did I miss something, baby girl?”  
“Where have you been, Dad?” Glimmer exclaimed. She made a short sound of annoyance “Never mind! I need your help with something”

Glimmer led them up to her runestone and examined it determinedly like she did with Eda so long ago.

She drew a complicated spell in the air. Catching on, Micah did the same. The portals in suitcase form were encased in pink energy. When it dispersed, Glimmer dusted off her hands.

“There. That spell should stop anyone I don’t want coming through.” She frowned. “I hope”

“Good job, kiddo” Micah beamed.  
“thanks for the help, Dad”

Micah walked down back to the castle, whistling and continuing to brush his teeth.  
Luz and Anne hugged them all in turn

“I guess this is goodbye for now” Anne said, squeezing Catra tight “Remember what we talked about, ok?”

“Yeah, yeah. Stay out of trouble, kid.” Catra muttered, grinning.

Anne and Luz nodded to each other and took each other’s hands.

“See you later, Dude”

“Stay weird, Anne”

They hugged and walked into their portals.

The Best Friend Squad waved as they went.

“They…aren’t going to stay out of trouble, are they?”Adora said.

“Absolutely not” Bow and Glimmer said as one with no hesitation.

On the Boiling Isles, Belos stormed into his castle where Kiki and his owl masked assistant met him and bowed.

“Welcome back, Your Excellency” 

Belos scoffed and marched past them and threw himself bodily onto his throne. He lazily cracked open a palisman and poured the essence into his eye.

“How was your excursion, Your Excellency?” Kiki asked hesitantly.

“Fruitless” Belos snarled. “But this is not over. That welp of a queen and her friends will regret picking a fight with me”

He sat for a moment, thoughtful. “That small girl with sticks and leaves in her hair is not from the Boiling Isles, I believe. That is interesting. Perhaps I will give her world a visit next…”

The End? To be continued! Get ready for more crossover shenanigans because writing is keeping me sane in quarantine lol. Thanks so much to everyone for reading!


	15. Three Worlds Prologue: I Think the Boiling Isles are a Pretty Great Place

A few days after Luz and Anne went home, Adora was brushing her teeth on Brightmoon’s roof, the wind whipping her ponytail everywhere.

The portals to Wartwood and the owl house were just where they had left them. For now. Catra, Bow and Glimmer had had to literally drag her away from watching them all night. She had finally fell asleep on her hard bed, Catra curled up beside her, purring.  
Blushing, she savored the memory, so she didn’t hear Luz open Hooty’s door and call “Hey, Adora!”

Adora jumped out of her skin dropping her toothbrush.

“Oh sorry” Luz rubbed her short hair that she definitely didn’t brush after putting on her multicolored school uniform. “That’s kinda Catra’s thing, isn’t it?”

The mention of Catra made Adora blush harder as she scrambled to find her toothbrush.

“Why are you up so early?” Adora wondered.

“it’s a school day”

“Oh yeah, that’s a thing. Once, we had to lie to Bow’s dads and said we went to school since he didn’t tell them he was in the rebellion”

“…Your life is really weird, Adora”

“And yours isn’t?”

“Touché”

“And have you heard any more about…” Adora said carefully.

Luz understood. She shook her head. “Nothing. As far as we can tell, Belos hasn’t left his castle. But we have to be ready at any time”

Amity came up the hill, pushing a wheelbarrow with an abomination in a vat.

She turned scarlet upon seeing Luz but waved. “Morning, Luz! Oh, hey, Adora”

“Where are you going?” Luz called.

“School’s cancelled. Pixie infestation again!” 

“Are they stealing my thing?” suddenly Catra was there on the roof. For the second time Adora startled. This time her toothbrush flew over the side of Brightmoon, landing with a splash in the surrounding lake.

Adora watched it fall with a frown.

“What are you doing up here? You were fast asleep in our bed”

Amity looked like she would explode from embarrassment. Luz’s eyes sparkled “I ship it” she whispered.

“I don’t know what that means” Adora said flatly.

Catra’s eyes flickered to Luz and Amity and coughed awkwardly “I…woke up because you were gone.” She smiled and gently fixed Adora ponytail “and I knew you were doing something stupid, dummy. Who brushes their teeth on the roof?”

“Not me, now”

“Welp, goodbye for now, school books” Luz threw her bundle of text books back through Hooty’s door

and dusted off her hands.

“You guys want to come in for some apple blood? Not the hard kind obviously”

“Sounds like one of the weird drinks Seahawk drinks at the tavern” Catra said raising her eyebrow as she stepped through the portal, Adora following her.

“Find any good mice lately, Catra? Hoot hoot?” Hooty asked.

Catra hissed in annoyance. “That was one time!”

Adora snorted.

Inside, Eda was sound asleep on the couch, King curled up on her stomach, snoring.

Quietly, Luz grabbed four mugs from the kitchen and filled them as the other girls sat down.

“Anne is working her family’s vegetable stand today, she just texted me” Luz said, pulling her phone out. “but she said she can hang out later. She said she didn’t notice anything…weird on her end yet.”

She glanced at Eda, still sound asleep, muttering something about shiny things and rolling over. “Let’s not wake Eda, ok? Or she’ll make us work our stand”

Adora drank stiffly and put her mug down on the table. “Glimmer’s spells are powerful. I hope they’re powerful enough”

“She has messed up spells before” Catra pointed out. “Double Trouble said her truth spell took a few tries.

“Thanks, Catra” Adora crossed her arms. “there’s a thought”

Catra put her hands up in surrender. “I’m just saying”

Adora gave her a gentle noogie. “Wow, way to have faith in your friends, Catra!”

“Ok, ok, I apologize” Catra laughed.

Luz’s phone pinged. “Never mind, Anne ditched the stand.” Luz said. “want to go visit her?”

“Eh, nothing better to do” Catra said, untangling herself from Adora.

“Sure, Wartwood has so much weird food” Adora rubbed her hands together, as if imagining her next food coma.

“Is your stomach actually made of iron?” Catra asked sardonically as they stepped past Hooty and past the portal…

….as a figure in an owl mask came out from being concealed in the nearby forest once the girls were gone. He cautiously touched the portal door but a pink energy sizzled as he touched it preventing him from going through.

He took out a crystal ball from his robes.

“status report, your excellency…I cannot get through the portal ”

“For now.” replied Belos “for now”

To be continued….  
Let me know if I should keep the continuation/sequel here for simplicity’s sake or make a new document. Either way I hope you enjoy more crossover nonsense!


	16. Anne Plays Hooky and Sickle Ball

They walked through the portal to Wartwood’s town square, bustling with frogs.

As they passed the market stalls, Adora picked up what looked like a chocolate covered scarab beetle and ate it in one bite.  
Catra gave her a weird look.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that” Adora countered “I’ve seen you eat mice whole”

“Yeah, that’s fair”

Amity surreptitiously peered at a stall that were selling old fashioned letter bound book with illustrations of frogs wearing old timey clothes. Her eyes shone in wonder. 

“Ooh! More other worlder fics!” Luz appeared beside her. Amity jumped, blushing furiously.

“You know, you kids have to pay for that” Hop Pop’s voice came from behind the Plantar family stand.

“Do you by chance know where my ungrateful grandchildren are?”

“Uh, nooo..” luz grinned guiltily, hiding her phone behind her back. Adora gave a nervous chuckle exposing chocolate stained teeth. Catra face palmed.

After giving Hop Pop some loose Etherian coins from Adora’s jacket pocket to give to the disgruntled chocolate salesman, they went in search of the Plantar kids. 

In the nearby woods, they found Anne and Sprig playing a crude version of baseball with a sickle whose blade resembled a leaf and a ball that looked like a beetle.

Polly was beside them refereeing.

Luz cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted “Hey, Anne!”

Anne was startled and missed the swing. The sickle-baseball bat flew out of her hands. It flew past Sprig, slicing his aviator hat exposing his tuft of red hair.

“Not the first time that’s happened” Sprig said cheerfully.

Anne ran up to them and gave Luz a big hug. “Oh my gosh, Luz, how are you girl? Shouldn’t you be in school?”  
“Pixie infestation”

“I don’t know what that means”

“It means, I can show you the Isles, girl!” Luz exclaimed “but we better hurry because Hop Pop is on your scent”

“Don’t worry, we’ll cover you” Sprig saluted.

“We will?” Polly asked dryly.

“KIDS!” Hop Pop bellowed from the market. 

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Anne ushered them back to the town square. The door with the eye folded out and they stepped through.  
After they left Wartwood, General Yunan emerged from a bush spitting out nettles.

“Very interesting” she mused “very interesting” she laughed maliciously to herself until she noticed Hop Pop staring at her strangely. She stopped abruptly.

“,,,I’m going to leave now” Yunan said.

“That’s for the best”

On the Boiling Isles, Luz snapped her fingers as if just realizing something. “Oh, yeah! Todays a great day to drop off what Glimmer sent!” she raced into the Owl House, Hooty hooting indignantly.

She came out with a satchel full of books. “Glimmer let me raid Brightmoon’s library. I’m going to donate them to Bonesborugh’s library so everyone here can read them.

“I love you so much right now” Amity whispered reverently.

“What?”

“What?”  
Anne stuck out her tongue. “It’s too bad Marcy’s all the way in Newtopia. She’d love to see a library from another world”

“Ah , a scho-lar” Adora said stressing the wrong syllable. 

“A what?” Amity raised an eyebrow.

“Ignore her” Catra laughed.

“You…ignore…yourself!” Adora exclaimed in a stutter putting Catra in her familiar soft headlock until they reached the library.

“That doesn’t make sense, idiot” Catra couldn’t control her giggles.

Amity glanced at the lovebirds then to Luz. She quickly looked away, suddenly interested in her shoes.

The librarian at the front desk was checking books in a magic scanner that noted if the book was on time or not and if it had damage.

“ah, Eda’s…child” he said distastefully.

“That’s the exact tone of voice people in Wartwood say “Hopediah’s grandkids” Anne pointed out.

Luz put her arm on his desk with her most charming smile. “With a generous donation to your library. Books from a library of a queen from another world!”

“Uh huh” the librarian snorted, unimpressed. “Put them over there.”

Luz stacked the donated books on an empty shelf, spell books from Mystacor, books on the history of past She Ras from Lance and George’s library , some of Mermista’s paperback mysteries.

Last in the pile was a lovingly handbound notebook with flower pint and “Catra’s journal” written in Perfuma’s perfect cursive.

Catra shrieked and dived for the book. Instinctively her claws extended slicing off a sliver of paper that fluttered under the shelf.

“Sorry, Catra” Luz said “I don’t know how that got in there”

“I didn’t know you kept a journal” Adora said.

Catra blushed “Perfuma made it for me. She thinks it’ll help me with my…issues, along with meditation.”

Adora hugged her, tears in her eyes “I’m so proud of you!”

Anne gave her friendly punch on her arm. “Good for you!” 

“Ok, ok”

Carta’s journal opened up to a middle page with a drawing. Adora lying on the ground in the Failsafe, hair undone. Catra over her, hair shorter than it was now, kissing her.

With another violent shriek, Catra shut the book hard, panting, her eyes darting around. Her ears were flat against her head.

“Sorry, you…had to see that” she muttered. Adora gave her short sweet kiss and she seemed to calm down.

Amity reached out for Luz. “Luz, I…”

But Luz was staring intently at the library front doors. “Guys, we have to go” she said urgently.

Coming through the front doors was Belos’s owl masked servant.

“Back way. Hurry!” Luz whispered.

The five of them bolted for the library back doors.

“Wow that’s better than our backway back home” Adora said when they ere clear and making their way to the Owl House “No cliffs or ropes”

In the library the masked witch knelt by the shelf and pulled the scrap of paper from Catras journal as everyone around him bowed nervously to the emperor’s envoy.  
It was hard to tell but he may have been smiling as he looked at the page.   
“This should suffice”


	17. Welcome to Hexside

“...No cliffs or ropes”

They hadn’t stopped running until they reached the Owl House and they out of breath.

“Ok maybe hard apple blood would be good right now” Luz wiped her brow as Amity paced back and forth holding her head.

“Oh, this is bad” she groaned.

“Hey, it’ll be be ok” Luz said gently.

“Not if the emperor has his coven after Adora and the others’ magic!” Amity exclaimed. “the emperor’s coven is full of some of the smartest witches to have ever lived. A lot have invented spells. If he has them trying to figure out Glimmer’s force field, its only a matter of time”

“He didn't see us” Luz reminded her, giving her a tight hug “and Hooty wont let any of the emperor’s baddies in the house” 

Amity blushed and melted into the hug, but she seemed unconvinced.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

the Owl Masked Assistant ran through the halls of the emperor’s palace, past relics of coven leaders , clutching the scrap of paper from Catra’s diary to his heart.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After leaving Luz and Amity at the Owl House, Adora, Catra and Anne went through the portal to go home.

On Brightmoon’s roof, Bow was holding Sprig up so he could aim rocks at the lake with his sling shot.

“You’ll definitely be able to shoot farther than me some day”

“Yes! Oh hey, Anne”

“Dude, what happened to distracting Hop Pop?” Anne exclaimed.

“Oh yeah, we were doing that”

Anne groaned.

“Where’s Glimmer” Adora asked sharply.

Bow straightened and understanding seemed to pass between them without words. 

“What happened?”

“Aaand thats our cue. Lets go, Sprig!” Anne grabbed her brother and ran toward Wartwood.

“Bye, Bow!”

“Before you go, Luz…” Bow held his hand out for her phone and he fiddled with it and his pad.

“There. Now your phone is comm linked to our tracker pads.”

“How did you figure out how to do that? Know what, never mind we have bigger problems” Adora explained what happened with the owl masked man as they found Glimmer in Adora and Catra’s room, feeding Melog peanut butter.

“I don't think he supposed to eat that” Catra said. Melog ran up to her and gave her a peanut buttery lick

“He loves it” Gimmer insisted.

“Glimmer” Bow said seriously and Glimmer abruptly stopped petting Melog.

“What is it?”

For the second time, Adora told the story.

“Guys, think very carefully” Glimmer said seriously “did you leave anything personal there? Something important to you?”

Adora shook her head. “Luz accidentally brought...something of Catra’s but we got it back”

Catra blushed. As she surreptitiously went to shelve her journal, she tensed. Her fur fluffed in alarm all the way down to her tail.

“Um, not all of it” she whispered. Forgetting her embarrassment she opened her journal and showed Adora, Bow and Glimmer.

A page had a square ripped out.

All four pointed at the journal with a shout looking between each other wild eyed.

Bow typed in Luz’s name on his tracker pad and the girl appeared on the video feed, playing hexes holdem with King on the Owl House Sofa.

“Sooo...we may have a situation”

After explaining it to her, Luz nodded resolutely. “let’s strategist getting the paper back. In the meantime, I need to borrow Adora

“Huh?” Adora looked up from where she was fishing candy from her pockets.

………………………………………………………...

“Explain to me why I have to be here again”

Adora looked around the halls of Hexside nervously. She shuddered as the school bell and lockers seemed to be noting her every move.

“I told you!” Luz said “Our homework assignment is to bring a family member to demonstrate their magic. And Eda isn't all that great with glyphs yet”

“Why not Glimmer? She’s more magic than me” Adora protested.

Catra, who was sharing a bag of beetle chips with Anne, snorted.

“When her spells actually work”

“Oh, burn!” Anne exclaimed, mouth full of bugs

“You two are disgusting also why are you here?” Adora asked dryly.

Catra and Anne shrugged “bored” they said as one.

Adora rolled her eyes.

“Didn't Glimmer ask you to send out the invitations to the next Princess Alliance meeting”

Catra shrugged “I had Bow do it”

“Catra!”

“What? He likes that kinda stuff!”

Adora groaned “Fine, lets get this over with” her eyes glowed and suddenly she was towering over them as She Ra, twirling her sword in an arc. 

It grazed Luz’s hair, sheering of a few strands. Luz grinned “we’re gonna get an A” 

“I don't know what that means” Adora said cheerfully.

They walked into the auditorium where Principal Bump was sitting up front with his clipboard, looking sour.

“Hey, Bumps, how’s it going?” Luz raised her hand for a high five. Bump frowned and sighed.

“Let’s just get this over with, Noceda”

Adora strutted onto the stage, self assured.

“Oh boy” Catra sat next to bump, folding her arms and smirking. Bump glared at her “This will be good”

“Yeah-uh, show em, girl!” Anne cheered.

“You don't even go here” Bump grumbled.

Adora stood up straight and took a deep breath. 

“I love this part” Luz squealed.

“For the Honor of Grayskull!”

Adora grew to She Ra height but lost her balance on the newly polished flooring. Her sword flew out of her hands and nearly took off Bump’s head.

“NOCEDA” he roared

“That’s our cue” Luz said in a small voice and the four girls ran.

By the time they reached the cafeteria they were in hysterics.

Gus and Willow were sitting at a table sharing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on their lunch period.

“What happened to you guys?” Gus asked as Willow chewed with a raised eyebrow.

They just started laughing harder.

Finally they went through the portal door and found themselves on Brightmoon’s roof.

“Oh, hold on” Anne said as she was about to step through the Wartwood portal “Hop Pop has some spicy pickles he wanted to give you guys. Why don't you come on down to the farm and get them? Hope you like spicy because they are ridiculously hot.

she led Adora, Catra and Luz into Wartwood…

and directly in front of General Yunnan.

“Don't move” Yunnan growled, her sharp claws at Anne’s neck.


End file.
